A New Fate
by ariados26
Summary: Severus Snape lost his friendship with Lily Evans when he called her a Mudblood. In another universe, a white-haired girl lost everyone she ever cared for in the final Holy Grail War. What happens when a portal tears open and said girl lands on top of a brooding, raven-haired, hook-nosed teenager? Severus SnapeXIlyasveil. Rated T for slightly mature conversations.
1. PROLOGUE 1

Disclaimer: Everything was based from J.K Rowling's HP Books and Type-Moon's F-SN. I do not own these characters, though I wish I did (My version of Ilya is something I cooked up though, Ilya with UBW ^_^ Just twisting things a bit to make an interesting plot. How you like it. Please don't forget to review.

Additional Information:

The Ilya in this story follows a similar path (as well as having a similar skill set) as Archerko-Ilya, but she's not Archerko, as she's alive and not a counter-guardian, although her powers are progressing to that level. How her eyes turned green will be explained later.

**PROLOGUE**

Spinner's End, August 1, 1976

Severus Snape was a mess. Due to his infatuation with the Dark Arts, he lost his best friend Lily Evans. It was only a matter of time, and everything fell apart when he uttered the monstrous word.

_Flashback_

_"Leave him alone," said Lily, who was defending him from the cruel pranks of the Marauders._

_…_

_"I don't need help from a filthy Mudblood like her."_

_…_

_"I'd wash my pants if I were you, Snivellus."_

_End of Flashback_

It was summer vacation, his first vacation from Hogwarts without Lily. He was sitting on a bench in the park where he and his best used to meet.

Severus was deep in thought. One month ago, he declined an offer from Lucius to spend his summer at the Malfoy Manor. Lucius accepted, though warning him to end all his ties with the Muggleworld for good, and prepare himself for service under the Dark Lord when he joined the Death Eaters, something which Lucius was sure Severus would do.

Severus Snape rarely cried. He was used to the abuse and torture he and his mother received from his father Tobias on a daily basis. He was always subjected to the Marauder's cruel pranks often. Yet, as he remembered what transpired by the lake, and the fact that his former best friend hated him now, refusing to accept his apology no matter how much he pleaded, he could not stop the tears from flowing.

Severus Snape finally understood that his desire to become a servant of the Dark Lord hurt Lily, but it was too late. If only he was not interested in the Dark Arts. If only he did not hurt her. If only he did not call her a Mudblood. If only he wasn't so blind to fall to the call of the Dark.

"I wish," he whispered quietly to himself, "there was a way for me to set things right. I wish I could be friends with Lily again." Severus has been in love with his best friend for a long time. Yet, he never had the courage to confess. Still, even if the girl did not choose him, her forgiveness and friendship would be enough.

At that moment, a bright light flashed in the sky, and in the next moment, Severus Snape was thrown to the ground, with a white-haired girl on top of him.


	2. PROLOGUE 2

**PROLOGUE 2**

Fuyuki City, Japan, Alternate Reality, February 2009

Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, carrying some shopping bags, was walking up the familiar road that led to the Emiya residence. She was the only who lived there now, but her home was once the liveliest place in her memory, where her family once lived. But they are gone now.

Formerly a homunculus, created for the sole purpose of being the vessel for the Holy Grail, her brother, (although not by blood), Shirou Emiya, sacrificed himself to save her from her fate. Her brother performed a complex ritual, and succeeded in lengthening her growth and life span. Although Ilya's mind was of a nineteen year old, her true physical age became that of a 10-year old (her body already looked like that of a ten year old), growing at a normal pace. However, the price for this was that Shirou ceased to exist. He transferred his soul's essence and strength to Ilya, and all that remained which reminded Ilya of her brother are his abilities and Reality Marble, which now belonged to her.

Four years passed. The Holy Grail became a grave threat, so Ilya, along with her friends and allies, set out to destroy it. In the end they succeeded. The Grail was completely and utterly destroyed, with no hope of returning. The world was safe from it now, no more Holy Grail Wars, peace was at hand. However, Ilya was more unhappy than before.

She was now all alone. Everyone she ever cared for was now dead. Shirou, Rin, Sakura, Fuji-nee, Saber, all of them died as a result of the ensuing battle. She tried her best to save everyone. Even though she hated her father, she loved her brother and continued to pursue the ideals which he sought. All she wanted, however, was simply to protect her friends and family, the people she cared for the most, but she failed miserably.

As Ilya was contemplating on these thoughts, a portal of some kind appeared, and, in her distracted state, Ilya did not notice until it was too late. The fifteen year old girl was flung into it. Although the Grail was completely destroyed, some traces of its power seemed to have remained, and it appeared to have resonated with the young girl's thoughts.

The girl was sucked into it, and was thrown out of the portal, on top of a young, hook-nosed, raven-black-haired teenager.


	3. CHAPTER 1

**CHAPTER 1: THE WHITE-HAIRED FAIRY**

In one moment, Severus Snape's world went white. He saw something fall from the bright light. Fearing the worst, Snape closed his eyes and braced himself from whatever it was that shot toward him.

Then he felt something… soft, land on top of him. At the same time, he felt like something warm touched his lips, sweet and a bit spicy at the same time. He could literally feel someone breathing on his neck.

"Oh, that hurt..." he heard a female voice mutter. The voice seemed strangely familiar.

Severus Snape opened his eyes, and his black pair stared straight into emerald ones.

"Lily?" he gasped.

"I'm not Lily," said the girl. "No wait… who are you? Who is Lily? Why did you call me Lily?"

Then, Severus realized his mistake. The girl in front of his eyes was not his former best friend. She looked so much like Lily, and even had an eerily identical pair of green eyes. However, this girl had a paler complexion, and her hair was silver-white, like snow, unlike Lily's dark red hair. It was, however, more because of the fierce emerald eyes, that Snape was not able to tell the difference at first.

"Before I answer your question," said Severus, "would you please get off me? You're making it hard for me to breathe."

"What do mean get off…" the girl suddenly stopped talking, as she suddenly realized the awkward position she was in with the stranger. Her white face turned red, and then…"

"KYAAAA! PERVERT!"

The girl screamed as she slapped Severus with her left hand. Then, she readied her right to do the same to the other side of the poor guy's cheek.

"Hey…wait…weren't you the one who fell on top of me? I did not do anything to…" Seeing that the girl would not listen to reason, Severus Snape raised his arm in an attempt to block the onslaught. With his quick hand reflexes from continually wielding a wand, she attempted to catch the girl's hand which was about to land on his face. The girl, however, managed to get her hand out of the way. Severus hand, in a clamping stance, missed its target…

And landed on one of the girl's breasts.

For a split second, both Severus and the girl looked at the hand on her chest. And then…

"KYAAA! PERVERT! PSYCHO! BASTARD! HENTAI! KYAAAA!"

With every word she screamed, the girl landed a painful palm strike on the man's face.

Severus Snape's brain, weary and exhausted from all the despair, sorrow, and extra thinking, plus all the physical torment he was currently receiving, decided to go for the most rational course of action, and shut down. Thus, the man passed out.

**-BREAK-**

A douse of cold water revived Severus Snape from his self-induced fainting.

"Hey, are you awake now?" asked the white-haired girl. Her face appeared relaxed. She seemed to have regained control of herself.

Wanting to have nothing more to do with the irritating woman, Severus decided to take his leave.

"I apologize for the, um, unpleasant situation earlier." he said. "I assure it was an accident. I wish to clear any misunderstanding on your part."

The girl remained silent.

Taking this as a sign of acceptance, Severus Snape stood up, bowed and said to the girl, "I'll be going now."

"Sexual harassment and attempted rape," muttered the girl to his retreating back.

"Pardon?" said Severus, not believing what his ears just heard, as he turned around and looked straight into the girl's green eyes.

"Sexual harassment and attempted rape," repeated the girl. "If you leave me here all alone, I will report you to the authorities."

Severus stood frozen and stared at the girl. What the heck?

"Excuse, but I think I already apologized and I believe you and I both know that it wasn't intentional. In fact, I might just inform the police and charge you of assaulting me instead."

"Oh," said the girl. Then to Severus Snape's surprise and mild horror, the girl ripped part of her skirt. "I wonder which of us the cops will believe?"

Severus Snape contemplated on his possible course of action. He could attempt to cast a memory charm on the girl, but the Ministry's Trace will be able to track down underage magic. Also, the girl seemed to have appeared by magic, and the Ministry apparently did not detect anything. Perhaps the girl simply looked young, but was actually of age(He has now idea how right he is.). Either way, he thought it was best to stay out of trouble, so he decided to play along.

"Alright, what do you want?" sighed Severus.

"I want something nice to drink," the girl said, with an (slightly) evil smile on her face.

One hour later, at his house in Spinner's End, one Severus Snape with burning palm marks on his face (they were still there), was preparing some coffee for the strange girl he met in the park.

_My wonderful green-eyed best friend just broke all ties with me, and now a green-eyed freak who looks so much like her is bothering me. Great, _thought Severus Snape.


	4. CHAPTER 2

**CHAPTER 2: MISERY LOVES COMPANY**

_Flashback_

_"I want something nice to drink," the girl said, with a (slightly) evil smile on her face._

_Severus Snape was not having a good day. He was simply meditating, minding his own business in a park, when all of a sudden a girl appeared on top of him, accused him of sexually assaulting her, and apparently hoping to get a free meal or two off him. The girl demanded that he buy her a drink, but Snape, a poor bloke with no penny, could not even afford a cup of coffee from a cheap café. So, he decided to invite the girl to his house instead. _

_'This wouldn't look good from any angle. She might accuse me of luring her to a trap. Then again I'd still be trouble if I ditched her,' thought Snape._

_"I'm sorry, but I did not bring any money with me," he said. "Would you like to come to my house for a drink instead?"_

_"Oh…" said the girl with a mischievous, accusing smile on her face. ('Damn, I knew it,' thought Snape.). The girl was silent for a while, looking at him intensely. Then…_

_"Okay, sure," she said finally, but a devilish smirk was still plastered on her face._

_'What kind of mess have I gotten myself into this time?' sighed Snape to himself._

_End of Flashback_

The girl was currently sitting comfortably on the living room sofa, taking a sip of coffee. Her movements and manners seemed elegant, graceful and refined. She would have been like a lady, if not for her constant mumblings and complaints about his house, the old furniture, the dust, the low quality coffee, the old biscuits, and everything else, talk about ungrateful.

"I'm sorry if this isn't to your liking," said Severus, barely able to hide the irritation in his voice.

He waited for the girl to finish her snack, who, in spite of all her complaints, devoured (although in an elegant and respectable manner, but in the amount of time that the food disappeared, devoured was an excellent term for it.) all the food that she was offered, before starting his inquiry. There were so many questions that he wanted to ask the young lady, that he found it hard to state them one at time, a feat which Snape congratulated himself him for managing.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Before I tell you who I am, I think you should introduce yourself first," said the girl. Snape scowled at her retort. "After all, I'm the one who asked the questions first. Answer them first, then I'll answer yours." She was probably referring to the ones she asked when she fell on top of Snape.

The two glared at each other, black eyes into emerald ones. Neither of them spoke. Neither wanted to give an inch to the other.

A few minutes passed. Realizing how stubborn the girl was, based from his first impression of her, the young man conceded.

"Fine," sighed Severus. "To answer your first question, my name is Severus Snape. To answer your second question, Lily was a friend of mine." There was regret and bitterness in his voice. "I sort of mistook you for her, I apologize."

"…was a friend of yours…" muttered the girl. "Does that mean she's…"

"No, she's alive and well," Severus quickly cut her off. "It's just that we don't see each other anymore... she hates me now." He felt like crying there and then, but quickly held back his tears.

"Oh …..so you were dumped?" the girl inquired.

"I was not," he retorted. "We weren't like that. We're just friends." The tone of his voice betrayed him, however, as the girl was now eyeing Snape with even more curiosity, wanting to know more. "Anyway, I answered your questions. So, mind telling me your name?"

"Oh, right," said the girl.

She remained silent for a while, as if to regain her composure. Then, she took a deep breath and introduced herself.

"A pleasant afternoon to you, Mr. Snape (Severus winced slightly at being addressed to in the same way as his father), My name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya."

"Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya," muttered Snape.

"I know, my name's quite long, isn't it?" chirped the girl. "So just call me Ilya for short."

"Ilya then," said Severus. "Oh, and please don't call me Mr. Snape. That makes me sound like an old man or something. Just call me Severus."

"Severus… too unpleasant," pondered Ilya. "I know! How about I address you as Sev instead?"

The name triggered something in Severus' brain to snap.

"NO, YOU CAN'T!" shouted Severus on reflex.

"Huh?" said the girl in surprise. "But why it's a nice name."

"I SAID YOU CAN'T CALL ME THAT, SO YOU CAN'T," yelled Severus, unable to control himself.

Moments of silence, which felt like hours, fell between them. Thunder can be heard rolling, as the sky outside was starting to grow dark, as if to match the mood.

"Get out," said Severus Snape in a low voice.

"Wha…" started the girl.

"I SAID GET OUT!" roared Snape. He dragged her towards the door, pushed her outside, and slammed the door on her face.

**-BREAK-**

That night Severus Snape was in a daze, as he lay on his bed. He already has too many things to worry about as it is. His mother, Eileene Prince, was a witch who fell in love with a Muggle. Unfortunately, Tobias Snape, the man she married, turned out to be an irresponsible drunkard whose favorite hobby included beating his wife and son. The woman, whose love for the man held true, silently suffered this treatment. On the summer after Severus' second year at Hogwarts, however, his mother could not take anymore, and committed suicide in Muggle fashion, by hanging herself. Due to this, Severus now had to deal with the full brunt of his father's abuses, which he was barely able to endure.

In the middle of November of that same year, however, Severus Snape received an owl informing him that his father met a train accident and died. The bastard, no doubt under the influence of alcohol, slept on the railroad tracks and was ran over. At first, Severus was relieved, but soon realized that he was all alone now. His father may have been cruel and abusive, but he was the only family he had. He was thankful that Lily was by his side all those times, he did not know how he would have managed without her.

Severus reminisced the years he spent with his friend. The first time they met, their time together at Hogwarts, and the fact that they slowly drifted away from each other, everything falling apart on that day by the lake, when he called her a Mudblood. He saw her face clearly in her mind. A beautiful young woman, with dark red hair, and emerald green eyes. Her image however, suddenly changed, and was replaced by another girl with identical green eyes. This one though, has a farer complexion, and silvery-white hair. She had a sorrowful expression on her face, and it mirrored the sadness that was present in Severus' heart.

He was brought back to reality by a flash of lightning. Severus could see the rain pouring hard, droplets hitting his window.

Without thinking, Severus got up, got dressed, grabbed his coat and umbrella, and ran out his house to look for her. He

_What the heck am I doing looking for her? She's probably long gone by now, back in the safety and comfort of her home,_ thought Severus. But his worry for the girl drove him forward regardless.

He was running around, frantically checking every corner of the neighborhood. Then, he heard a female voice. From the way it sounded, the owner of the voice seemed to be singing, and it came from the direction of that small park, where he first met Ilya, where he and Lily used to spend time chatting. He ran towards it as fast as his legs could carry him.

As Severus approached the park, the rain has weakened into a drizzle. The night sky became lighter and the stars and moon became more visible as the clouds began to part. The voice became clearer and clearer, and he now recognized it with a certainty: it definitely belonged to white-haired girl. Finally he reached the park, and the sight that met him was breathtaking. He would never forget it for as long as he lived.

The girl sang:

1. Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten,  
Daß ich so traurig bin,  
Ein Märchen aus uralten Zeiten,  
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn.  
Die Luft ist kühl und es dunkelt,  
Und ruhig fließt der Rhein;  
Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt,  
Im Abendsonnenschein.

2. Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet  
Dort oben wunderbar,  
Ihr gold'nes Geschmeide blitzet,  
Sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar,  
Sie kämmt es mit goldenem Kamme,  
Und singt ein Lied dabei;  
Das hat eine wundersame,  
Gewalt'ge Melodei.

3. Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe,  
Ergreift es mit wildem Weh;  
Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe,  
Er schaut nur hinauf in die Höh'.  
Ich glaube, die Wellen verschlingen  
Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn,  
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen,  
Die Loreley getan.

(_Heinrich Heine, 1822 (1799-1856)_)

**-BREAK-**

Severus was utterly speechless. The sight that greeted him was so mysterious. There was Ilya, at the middle of the park, dancing and twirling like a fairy as she sang. Her eyes were closed, her silvery-white hair floating gently in the wind. She was singing a song in what Severus could only guessed as a different language. Her voice was enchantingly eerie. She was smiling, and her voice seemed to carry a joyous tone. But for some reason, Severus could tell that it was false. He can feel the sadness radiating from the girl, despite her appearance. Whatever burdens she was carrying brought her immense sorrow, Severus can tell. He realized that the girl was singing, lying to herself, making herself believe that she was happy.

It was the only way she had to keep her heart from breaking.

After a while, Ilya seemed to have noticed that she was not alone, as she stopped singing, and turned in his direction.

"Oh, hello," she greeted. Her voice was slightly hoarse, probably from all the singing.

"It's not good for a girl to stay out late night, especially when it's raining," Severus said. "Where do you live? I'll take you home."

"You don't have any money, you won't be able to pay for the fare," replied Ilya, making Severus frown, before she continued. "I don't have one."

"What do you mean you don't have one?" asked Severus, knowing that he will probably not like the answer he will hear.

"I don't have a home," she said simply.

"Sure you must be joking. Your family is probably really worried about you by now. I think you should…" Severus began, but Ilya raised her hand to stop him from talking.

"It is as I said," she said in quiet, but clear voice. "I don't have a home. I don't have a family, although I had one before, but it's gone now." Severus remained silent, transfixed. "My mother, my father, my brother, my friends, everyone in the world who ever loved me, everyone in the world I ever cared for, dead," she finished.

It would be an understatement to say that Severus was shocked at the revelation. He was horrified by what he heard, he wanted to believe it was a joke, but he can tell the girl wasn't lying.

Ilya told him these in an even tone, not a trace of emotion noticeable. A smile was plastered on her face, but her eyes gave her away: tears were flowing from them.

"I'm so sorry," said Severus, as he walked slowly towards Ilya, and stopped when he was right in front of her. He wanted to ask her about it, but knew this was not the right time.

"It's not your fault," said the girl, her voice starting to break. "The reason they are gone is because I wasn't strong enough to protect them."

"No, I'm saying sorry for the way I acted towards you a few hours ago," said Severus, his voice filled with sincerity. "I failed to realize that I wasn't the only person in this world who feel pain and sorrow, who carry with them heavy burdens. Please forgive me for losing my temper and taking it out on you. You're not at fault."

Without warning, Ilya put her arms around Severus in an embrace, and cried, all her pent-up emotions out of control, her face buried in his chest.


	5. CHAPTER 3

**CHAPTER 3: WIZARD AND MAGUS**

Severus Snape woke up the next morning with a headache. Still, he thought that he was rather fortunate that he did not catch the flu, considering the fact that he was running around in the rain the night before. He thought he could hear the sound of music playing. He shook his head, as he remembered their old radio was no longer working, and the old phonograph was out of the question. Still feeling a bit drowsy, he was about to fall asleep again when he heard a crashing sound of breaking china. Sighing, he got up and headed for the kitchen. Remembering that his drunkard of a father has been dead for a couple of years, plus the girlish scream that followed, there was only one person who could possibly be responsible.

_Flashback_

_The girl had now detached himself from the young man, her well of tears final dried up._

_"So, what now?" asked Severus._

_He was still a bit flustered from the unexpected embrace assault, but it was getting late, the streets are never safe during those hours, so Severus Snape thought it was best to get things settled quickly._

_"I don't know…" said Ilya seriously. "I'm all alone now, so I might as well hang myself or jump off the nearest bridge. Though stabbing myself in the heart or drinking poison are also good options." _

_"What are you, insane?" asked Severus, exasperated. Somehow he could sympathize with girl, as he has experienced having similar thoughts, the last time he did was rather recent. He thought that the girl had finally calmed down after all the crying. It appears he was mistaken._

_"No I'm not," replied the girl. "In fact, I believe that killing myself would probably the best course of action. I don't have any reason to keep on living, and I prefer a swift death compared to a slow one from depression and starvation." At these words, a richly decorated knife suddenly appeared in Ilya's hand. _

_"NO! STOP!" cried Severus, as the girl slowly brought the edge of the dagger by her chest. The man was actually shocked when the girl apparently Conjured a weapon out of thin air, and without a wand, but it was not the time to dwell on that._

_Ilya ignored him however, and the weapon continued in its course. Severus, in an instant, quickly grabbed the girl's hand, pried the dagger from her grasp, and threw it away. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and fell forward…_

_On top of Ilya, in an awkward position._

_For a few moments, which felt like hours, the young man and woman once more stared each other in eye, black pair on emerald ones. Then the girl broke the silence._

_"Why are you trying to stop me?" she began. "You don't even really know me. Besides, didn't you say you hate me? You shouldn't be worrying about me. After all, I'm just a stranger to you, am I not?"_

_Severus Snape was at a loss. As someone who grew up deprived of love, comforting words was never his strong point. Still, he gave it his best shot._

_"Even so," said Severus. "After all that happened, I can't just leave you here like this. I've just met you today, it's true. I do not your circumstances, nor can I fully understand the hurt that you feel, but you shouldn't throw your life away so easily. I will not ask you to tell me about it. I just want you to live. If there is one thing I understand, it is the pain of being alone." _

_Moments of painful silence passed. Then…_

_"Um… could you get off me please, Mr. Snape?" said Ilya, her face red as a tomato. "I promise I won't try to kill myself anymore and…um…you're kind of…heavy."_

_Finally recalling that they were in such an uncomfortable position, Severus quickly got up, his face also burning. Another painful silence passed, as he and Ilya continued to stare at each other, their clothes a bit muddy from falling on the wet ground._

_"So... you really have nowhere to go to?" asked Snape, still blushing._

_The girl nodded._

_"Then...but only if you'd like to though…" Severus was trying to find the right words to bring up his suggestion, but is finding it quite difficult. "We've just met, I'm just a stranger after all… no wait, you're a girl, I mean… but I won't do anything, I'm not that kind of guy… but my house is bit small and dirty… there is water though…but no, then the…AHHH!"_

_"?," Ilya looked at him inquiringly._

_"What I mean to say is…" began Severus, thinking it best to get to straight to the point. "While you're still trying to get yourself back up… would you like to stay at my house?" he finished, his face, if possible, becoming redder than before._

_A few moments silence passed. Then…_

_"Sure, I'd love to," said Ilya, as her face broke into a smile._

_Severus felt his heart stop. It was the first true smile he had seen on Ilya. For the first time, he felt a bit of true happiness radiate from her, and it was infectious._

_The first time he met Ilya that day, she fell right on top of him. His hand even accidentally got latched onto the girl's…um…chest. It did not bother him one bit. Perhaps it was because of that shock of the moment, Severus wasn't sure. After a while, however, Severus Snape's brain finally registered the white-haired, green-eyed girl, Ilya, for what she was… a __**girl**__, for God's Sake!_

_Flashback End_

It was already ten O'clock in the morning. After hearing the sound of breaking china, Severus got dressed quickly and went in the direction of the kitchen.

As he went down the stairs, the young man noted a number of changes were done to his home. For starters, Severus' hooked nose, although it does not end up in an allergic reaction, easily picks up the presence of dust in the air, and it could detect none. As he entered the living room, everything appeared to sparkle. The floor was mopped and the furniture were polished. The books, which were scattered all over the place, were now neatly arranged in the old bookshelf (Of course these were Muggle-related. Severus kept all the magic-related books and items he ever owned in his trunk. He wasn't foolish enough to leave them lying around, just in case he had visitors, the extremely rare chance it might happen.) . The curtains were replaced and the windows were open, allowing sunshine into the house. Lastly, Severus found where all the music was coming from: the old phonograph which Severus thought was already beyond repair (even with magic). It was currently playing a music collection of Mozart. Then he remembered exactly what it was that forced him out of bed, and hurriedly proceeded to the kitchen.

Contrary to how the living looked appeared, the kitchen was…okay. True, a lot of cleaning has been done, the curtains were replaced and the room illuminated by sunlight, but it only allowed the eyes to see just how much of a mess that was recently created. The cabinet in which kitchenware were in was toppled, with broken plates and cups littered all over the floor. Apparently, it collapsed. (Ever since his mother died, Severus and his father only used a few cups and dishes, which were always on the table. Neither of them knew how to cook, so everything else in the kitchen was left untouched. They either ate their meals outside or buy ready-to-eat food items.) Then Severus caught sight of a white-haired figure emerging from the rubble and rubbing her back side.

"Ow, ow, that hurt…if I'd known that old piece of woodwork was so heavy I'd have Reinforced myself…Oh, good morning Mr. Snape," greeted Ilya, finally noticing that Severus' presence.

"Good morning to you to Ilya," Severus greeted back. "And please don't call me Mr. Snape. Call me Severus instead."

"Oh, right sorry," said Ilya. "Good morning then, Sev."

Severus cringed slightly at her use of that name, but restrained himself from retorting. "What happened here?" he asked quickly.

"Oh, I wanted to cook breakfast, but all I found in the cupboard were coffee and biscuits, so I tried the cabinet and then well… this happened," she replied sheepishly. "Anyway don't worry, I'll fix it right away. Would you mind stepping out of the kitchen for a moment? I need some space to clean up."

"Alright then, Ilya," sighed the young man, and he left the room.

He closed the door and headed for his room to his wand. Ilya was just too nice. She just cleaned his house which he had not done properly in years (The last time the house got any decent cleaning was when Lily visited in the summer before their fourth year at Hogwarts.). Sure, she was imposing on Severus, but she was a guest, not a house elf. Besides, there was no way he would just stand by and watch a girl do all the work. Pacing quickly down the stairs, he reentered the kitchen, and gaped at what he saw.

Ilya was standing, her left hand holding a knife, her right one outstretched, on top of the destroyed china and furniture. Blood was dripping from a cut on her thumb (To Severus' horror.) and she was muttering some intelligible words. After the chant finished, a flash of white light filled the room. When the light faded, Severus noticed that the plates and cups were repaired, and the damage the cabinet received from the fall was gone.

_Blood magic_, thought Severus, his mind spinning.

"All right," chirped Ilya, wiping sweat from her forehead and the blood from her hand with a handkerchief. "Now I just have to…" She froze as she caught sight of Severus.

**-BREAK-**

Severus Snape was creeping silently towards the door and out of the kitchen. Unfortunately, he stepped on a broken plate (which was overlooked, as it landed a bit further away from the wreck), and the _crack _was loud enough for Ilya to hear.

The girl stood rooted on the spot. It appears that she had not noticed the entry of another person into the room, having been too busy and focused on her spell. From the time they first met (which was less than twenty-four hours ago), it seems that moments of unnerving silence are a normal occurrence between them.

Neither of them spoke. Severus did not know what to say, and neither, apparently, did Ilya.

Severus had to think fast. He can't let the silence go on forever. Then he remembered the remaining broken plate by his feet. Seeing as Ilya seemed uncomfortable by the fact that it was revealed she can perform magic, he thought he should do the same.

"You missed one," he said finally. Then he waved his wand and muttered _reparo_. The shattered pieces of the plate immediately reformed.

Ignoring the surprised expression on Ilya's face, Severus muttered _wingardium leviosa_, levitated the plate and caught in his hands. With a few flicks of his wand, the cabinet was back in its place by the wall. He then whispered _scourgify_, cleaning the dinner ware before setting them back in order to the cabinet with another few swishes of his wand. Then, Severus muttered _accio first aid kit,_ and a small box he kept in his room flew towards him.

Trying to act as normally as possible, Severus approached Ilya. "Are you all right?" he said conversationally. "Let me take a look at that wound."

Ilya opened her mouth and was about to say something, but Severus cut her off.

"Let's talk about this later, alright," said Severus, as he gently grabbed Ilya by the hand and led her to the living room. "Let's patch up that wound first…"

**-BREAK-**

"There, that should do it," said Severus, as he finished wrapping the bandage around Ilya's wound. He then levitated the first aid kit and landed it gently on top of a bookshelf. It was then that the white-haired girl spoke.

"Sev, you're a magus," whispered the girl who was sitting on the living room sofa. It was a statement, not a question, and from the tone of her voice, seeing Severus perform magic just confirmed her suspicion.

"If you mean wizard, then yes I am," said young man, mildly surprised, who set himself down on an armchair. He has never encountered anyone use the word verbally before (having only seen it used in books and essays as a word substitute). "The same as you. You're a sorceress, am I right?"

"No I'm not," replied Ilya in a snappish tone that surprised Severus. "A sorcerer or sorceress is someone who is able to perform one of the Five True Magic, or Sorcery, as they are called. I'm just a magus."

"And what do you mean by that?" asked Severus, half-curious, half-irritated with the tone Ilya used. "Magus, mage, wizard, sorcerer, they all mean the same thing, as do sorceress when referring to female witches."

"No they don't."

"Yes they do."

"No they don't!"

"Yes they do!"

Neither Severus nor Ilya would back down. Both of them believed that they were right and the other was wrong.

Suddenly Ilya stood up. So did Severus. Their small argument was about to turn into a shouting match when a brown owl suddenly swooped in from an open window and dropped an envelope on the living room table.

The two pairs of eyes looked at the post then at each other. Suddenly, Ilya dashed for the table and grabbed it before Severus could even react. Probably thinking that Snape would try to snatch it back, the girl jumped nimbly to the back of the sofa out of the young man's reach.

"What is this?" asked Ilya innocently, waving the letter in Severus' face.

"It's a letter," replied Severus rather nervously. "An owl mail, to be more precise."

"So owl familiars are used to send letters in this world," said Ilya questioningly. "May I open it?" But she was already opening the envelope, obvious curiosity gleaming in her emerald eyes.

"Sure why not," said Severus weakly. He became nervous when an owl swooped into his own, and when he saw the seal on the letter, he forgot all about his anger, as it was replaced with weariness. The letter was from the Ministry, and there was no doubt in his mind as to why it was sent. He did not need read it to know the contents.

Ilya hastily threw away the envelope and started reading the letter.

"We have noticed…unauthorized use of the summoning charm, levitation…underage magic…Ministry of Magic," she was muttering. "Ministry of Magic?"

"Oh," Severus said, as he realized the question was addressed to me (she was gazing at me). "To sum it up, it's a form of government which presides over and enforces law on the witch and wizard community."

"What about the London Clock Tower?" she asked.

"Clock Tower?" asked Severus confusedly.

The two were silent for a while, deep in thought.

Severus was thoroughly confused. For someone who has studied the world of magic by heart, he could not understand what Ilya was talking about. The silver-haired girl, on the other hand, seemed to have confirmed something.

"Sev, can I ask you a question?" said the girl.

"Yes, Ilya?" By now, Severus Snape has gotten used to being called in that name by the pale-complexioned young woman, and resignedly accepted it. There was no point arguing over it, after all.

"Do you know of a famous wizard who goes by the nickname Kaleidoscope?"

"As far I know, no."

"Are you familiar with the name Kishua Zelretch? I'm sure every magus in the world would know about him."

"None. Why? Is he a powerful wizard?"

"Yes he is. Are you sure no there is no wizard who goes by that name?"

Severus tried hard to remember if he read or heard of anyone with that name from his studies, from books, from the Daily Prophet, from his mother, from Lily, from his school, from his Slytherin 'friends'.

"No, sorry, Ilya. This is actually the first time I've encountered that name myself."

"I see… thank you Sev," said Ilya.

Severus felt a chill. He took one look at Ilya, and realized that a dark shadow had gone over her face. He was not someone who was easily intimidated, having faced the Marauders on a daily basis and slept in the same dormitory as people with murderous nature, yet he shuddered as he felt the aura emanating the girl in front of her: It was MENACING. To make it worse, the ill intent was not even aimed at Severus, yet he felt like he might get killed. What was wrong with him? Was this girl always this scary?

"There is Ministry of Magic.. the Clock Tower Mage Association does not exist… nobody knows Keleidoscope…" Ilya muttered to herself… "magecraft is different… they use owls for communication..I get it now... I knew it… the Root is to blame for this, I'm sure of it… **curse the Root.**"

As she said those last three words, the hostile aura around Ilya was suddenly projected in full force around her, then dissipated. Severus Snape felt it, and his knees buckled. It was only by putting one of his hands on the table for support that he prevented himself from falling to his knees at the moment the wave of hostility passed through him. Silence prevailed…

Suddenly Ilya wobbled, her knees about to give way instead. Completely forgetting about the menacing atmosphere that was present just moments before, Severus rushed towards her, and gently held Ilya by the shoulder to prevent her from collapsing.

"Are you all right," inquired Severus, his voice filled with worry for the girl, his fear apparently forgotten,

"Oh, yes, I'm fine," she replied, her voice back to her usual tone. "I was passed out when I got lost in my thoughts there. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Another tense moment, then…

A grumbling sound was heard… the sound of an empty stomach.

"Ohhh," said Ilya, flushing. "Sorry…"

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about," said Severus. "You were cleaning up my house all morning, and you haven't eaten since yesterday, right? I'm the one who should be ashamed, for letting a lady do all the work. I should be the one apologizing Ilya."

"To be honest," said Ilya, her face growing redder. "I…um…I'm actually feeling a bit hungry." Her stomach chose to growl loudly at this moment, as if to challenge the _bit_ part of her statement.

"I can see that," mused Severus. "There is nothing here in the house save for coffee and some old biscuits. So, why don't we eat outside instead?"

"You mean like a date?" asked Ilya. "But I thought you don't have any money?"

"Yes, I did say that. You see, yesterday, I really did not bring any along, so I wasn't lying."

Ilya was eyeing him suspiciously.

"Do you really think I'd still be alive if I can't even buy food for myself?"

"I see," said Ilya, apparently convinced. "So where are we going?"

"Diagon Alley," said Severus.

"Diagon Alley?"

"it's where items related to magic are sold. Magic books, cauldrons, wands, those kind of things," said Severus. "I have to go there anyway since I have to buy my school supplies for Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" asked the girl, her curiosity increasing by the second.

"Wizards school. I'm in my sixth year there now, and I'm taking as many N.E.W.T.s as I can as well.

"Wizards school? N.E.W.T.s?"

"I'll tell you all about it later. It's almost twelve. We should really get going. Would you mind waiting for me for a bit. I have to get changed first."

"Okay, sure."

Severus took one look at the girl as he went up the stairs. The dark mood she was in a while ago was gone, as she twirled around the living room in excitement, humming merrily to herself.

The raven-haired teenager couldn't help but smile.


	6. CHAPTER 4

**CHAPTER 4: DIAGON ALLEY**

(Ilya POV)

"So, um, where are we going again?" inquired Ilya, slightly skipping as she munched on her fifth hamburger.

"Diagon Alley, school supplies," replied the raven-haired boy beside her. "And don't jump around too much. You might get a stomach ache." For a girl she sure eats a lot, Severus thought.

Ilya heard Sev muttering to himself on whether or not they should use Floo Powder to travel. However, as it was a bright and sunny day, Ilya told him that she wanted to get some fresh air, and he decided that they should take the bus instead.

On the way, he started telling Ilya all about the Wizarding World, Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, and the Ministry of Magic.

Ilya remained quiet, listening intently, focusing on every word the teenage boy spoke. She was undoubtedly trying to learn quickly, to take in all the information she can about the new world she was in right now.

Suddenly Severus stopped. Ilya was caught by Sev's words, that she hardly paid attention to where they were going. They were now standing in front of a brick wall.

"This is the entrance," said Sev. He pulled out his wand, pushed a brick in the center of the wall, and stepped back. The wall collapsed, revealing an archway in its fall.

"Let's go," said Sev, who was holding out his hand.

"Okay then," replied Ilya, as she accepted the offered hand, placing hers on his, and together they entered the Alley.

Ilya was dumbstruck. True, she was a magus. She has dealt with magic for almost her entire life. She was formerly a homunculus, an artificial human, and she has seen, utilized, and even went up against so many forms of magic and magecraft. Still, what met her sight this day was something she never would have thought could possibly exist.

Sev had already told her about these aspects on the way, but still amazed her. A magus always had death by his side, and should be prepared for it. Yet for these people, magic is just like an ordinary part of the daily way of life, as if it were normal. Having experienced countless life and death situations due to magic every day since she was born, she found this hard to accept. Every single magic practicioner in her world new that they could die at any given moment, either killer by others, killed by their own mistakes, killed by the very magic they were using.

She knew that Sev was a magus like her, and she had already noted differences between his and her magic. Still, although magical folk still hid their abilities from those with none (Muggles, according to Sev), they seem to be much more carefree and liberal than the ones in the world she came from. Mages have a society of their own, and, based from what Sev told him, with the exception of keeping everything secret from the Muggles, they have their own society.

Young people, old people, men, woman, entire families, were bustling about in Diagon Alley. If it wasn't for the fact that most of them were wearing robes, the place would have been like an ordinary town center, where people gather, picnic or shop in stores to relax themselves on a holiday, or to buy usual household necessities.

Shocked though she was, Ilya couldn't help but smile. Here she was, in a place, where people like her, people with magic, act like normal people. True, the Clock Tower in her world was the main governing organization of magi, but normalcy was one thing that never existed. Magi in her world placed to much emphasis in being elite. Although it might also be the case in this world, the fact that she saw child witches and wizards running around like normal kids means that things were different. Normalcy and social acceptance, living freely like normal people, this was how the witches and wizards of this world went about with their daily lives.

Ilya was suddenly brought out from her reverie when she heard a boy shout.

"Hey, look, it'd the new Nimbus One Thousand," a boy was saying. "Mum, can I get one of those for my birthday?"

"Okay, dear, but you can't be it with you to school yet," smiled a purple robed woman at her son. "You know first years allowed one."

"Oh, thank you Mum, you're the best," cried the boy in happiness, as he hugged her mother.

Ilya's smile widened, her emerald eyes flashing in anticipation.

_So many things to see, so little time_, thought Ilya. _I have a lot of research to do_.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Come, I'll show you around."

Severus Snape was having a difficult time. When he went to Diagon Alley with Lily Evans for the first time five years ago, things were fine, but everything went downhill when Mr. and Mrs. Evans gave the kids one hour to do what they want. Lily, seizing the opportunity, went to every shop she can visit, buying everything that got her interest (The Evans while not filthy rich were considerably well-off), dragging poor Severus around with her. By this time Severus had already visited the place a number of times with his mother, and, without the excitement, it was actually a bother.

Things were better the next time they visited, though, as Lily was already settled, used to things already, and much calmer than before, although she still went on a merciless shopping spree, forcing Severus to carry the bags until Mr. Evans took over (He still wasn't good with levitating objects at the time, unfortunately.).

Now he is facing the same problem with Ilya, who was acting in almost the same manner as an eleven-year-old Lily Evans. The main difference was that they did not have a Mr. and Mrs. Evans with them this time, meaning he will have to put up with it all afternoon.

_Women_, sighed Severus to himself.

Ilya was dancing and twirling around. She was hopping and skipping as she walked, pointing at and then running towards whatever got her interest. He was giving her, more or less, a tour of DIagon Alley, visiting several shops, including Flourish and Blotts, and he bought her an ice cream at Florean Fortescue's. She was bouncing around here and there. Severus Snape, getting extremely dizzy, could just about compare her movements to that of the Golden Snitch, which gave one hell of a headache to Seekers.

Still, despite of having a hard time with Ilya, Severus couldn't help but feel even a little bit of joy. There was just something about her he couldn't quite explain, something that made him feel at ease.

"Hey, Sev, what are you spacing out for."

Severus was awakened from his daydream, and looked the girl straight in the eyes.

That was the one thing that was bothering Severus. Her eyes. Exactly the same as Lily's, Whenever he looked into those emerald eyes, he remembers the sadness and heartbreak of the fact that his best friend and first love now hates him.

"Oh, it's nothing," said the raven-haired boy.

"Hmmm..." murmured Ilya, and the next thing Severus knew, her face was only a couple of inches from him, her silver hair slightly touching his face.

"What are you…" he began, slightly panicking. He was sure his face was on fire.

"Sev, are you all right?" inquired the girl, as she felt Severus forehead with her palm. "You don't seem to have a fever, but your face is all red."

"No I'm fine, you can move away from me now," said Severus in an almost pleading voice. He could feel his face growing even redder. "Anyway, we're going to…"

But his words were drowned by a sudden explosion, followed by screams of people who were running from the direction of the sound.

They were standing some ten meters away, Severus could clearly see them: hooded figures dressed in black, with masks that look like skulls.

Death Eaters.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Let's get out of here," said Severus to the white-haired girl.

In truth, he did not like what the Dark Lord's followers were doing, preying on the innocent (He was infatuated with the so-called Dark Arts, but he never really wanted to hurt anybody, except perhaps the Marauders and some other nasty people, which actually included his own Dark Lord fanatic Slytherin friends, but not to the point that it would grievously hurt or kill them.), but he did not want to offend them either. Unlike the resolve he had before, he was already debating with himself whether or not to become a Death Eater. Although he has already become more inclined to not joining (after losing Lily's friendship), he still wants the option to be open in case he changed his mind.

"Come on Ilya," said the raven-haired teenager. "Let's call it a day. We'll just come back tomo…"

But Ilya was no longer beside her. Frantically, Severus looked around, trying to locate her.

Then he saw her, silver-hair flowing in the light breeze, standing in front of a crying little girl, and facing the hooded men, their wands pointed at her.

"You have some nerve picking on the weak and the helpless," Ilya was saying to the Dark Lord's servants, loud enough for Severus to hear.

_She's going to get herself killed_, thought Severus. _I can't let that happen._

Without another thought, forgetting about the possible consequences his action will bring upon him (getting himself killed included), Severus ran forward, pulling out his wand as he did so, finally stopping to stand beside her. Without realizing it, Severus had actually made his resolve.

He wasn't on the dark side, nor was he with the light.

He was fighting on his friend's side, on Ilya's side.


	7. CHAPTER 5

**CHAPTER 5: 1****st**** GAMBIT**

(Ilya POV)

"You have some nerve picking on the weak and helpless," said Ilya in a cold voice to the hooded figures.

There were twenty people in all. She could not see their faces, but she knew that they must have been surprised that someone had the guts to walk up and face them. Then she heard a running sound, and the next thing she knew, Sev was standing by her side, his want out.

Upon his arrival, five of the masked people cringed and two of them even made a squelching noise, as if disgusted by something they just confirmed. Another one pointed his wand at Ilya and was starting to mutter what she could guess as a spell, but the one in the center raised his hand to stop him. The man complied. Then, he raised his own wand and muttered something. Ilya guessed that the spell must have created some sort of bounded field which blocks out sounds (probably for privacy purposes), as the screams and cries of the people running around could no longer be heard.

"Put away your wand Severus," said the man. Then he turned to his companions. "The same goes for the rest of you." The hooded people reluctantly began lowering their wands.

"Lucius?" Ilya heard Sev speak.

"Indeed I am," replied the man, as he took off his mask. He a pale face and long whitish-blonde hair. He had the air of a sadist and opportunist, similar to that of Matou Zouken, but on a much lower level.

"What are you doing here?"

"We were tasked by the Dark Lord to with an important mission," said Lucius smirk, apparently pleased with the raven-haired boy's questions. "We were tasked to abduc…ah… I mean escort the girl behind you to Him." He pointed at the brown-haired girl who was shaking uncomfortably behind them, tears flowing from her eyes, occasionally crying out for her brother.

Sev opened his mouth to say something, but Ilya cut him off.

"And what, pray tell, are you planning to do with her?" said Ilya, her hostility now rising.

"That's none of your business, Mudblood," spat a female. One of the hooded figures replied, who was obviously looking through her mask at Ilya with disgust.

"YOU!" shouted Sev suddenly.

Ilya felt a sudden wave of hostility from the person beside her. She didn't understand what the words means, but she guessed it must have been some kind of down-to-earth insult: Sev was furious.

"Now, now, Bella," said Lucius in a soothing voice, but the way he eyed her made Ilya quite sure that he shared the same sentiment. "This isn't the time for petty arguments, and your words will be wasted on someone like Lily Evans."

_Lily Evans?_ thought Ilya… _I see… Lily…they're confusing me for her…do we really look so similar…I guess I'll find out when I meet her…for now though…_

"I think it's best that I get straight to the point then." He still kept the smile on his face, but his eyes narrowed. "Severus, bring the girl over here. You can come with us if you like."

Sev remained silent, but Ilya could tell he was contemplating on things. Based on what she had seen and heard, she was sure that Sev was well acquainted with these people, and was probably even planning to join them, serving the Dark Lord, whoever it was. As far as Ilya can tell, these were definitely not good people.

The stillness went for a little while, and then…

"It's because of that Mudblood," said the man who standing at Lucius' right. "It's cause of her that he can't decide… I'll take care of that… CRUCIO!" he cried.

"PROTEGO!" another voice shouted, and the ball of light heading for Ilya stopped in midair, colliding with something unseen.

Sev stepped forward, in front of the white-haired girl. The hooded figures were whispering, as if surprised: Lucius' face, however, showed bored disdain.

"Ilya," started Sev, in a low voice, as he pointed his wand at the hooded figures, as all of them pointed theirs at the two of them. "Take the girl and run. I'll hold them off."

"So, you're going to oppose us? You dare defy the will of the Dark Lord," drawled Lucius, as he too pointed his own wand and pointed it at Sev and Ilya, as he put his own mask back on. "The Dark Lord will have no more use for you. You might turn out to become a liability, so this is where we end our conversation. You've made your choice, and a foolish one it is."

The air became stiffened, a number of harmful curses about to be fired.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

He was in a dilemma. He was not sure what he should do next. When he rushed to Ilya's side, he knew he had probably blown his chances of joining the Death Eaters. He thought they would try to eliminate him at once, like a piece of trash on pavement.

And then he discovered that Lucius Malfoy was among them. So was Bellatrix Lestrange. He did not like it when heard her called Ilya a Mudblood. He was angry because he knew they thought she was Lily, he knew the insult was meant for Lily, but for some reason, he was more furious with the fact that the one who got insulted was Ilya. No matter how identical they are, even though they have exactly the same eyes, Ilya was Ilya, not Lily. Emotions he felt at the same time, meant for two similar yet different individuals greatly confused Severus, but it was not the time to dwell on that.

Then Lucius Malfoy said, "Severus, bring the girl over here. You can come with us if you like." The blonde-haired man, Severus knew, was in the Dark Lord's inner circle, having shown him the Dark Mark burned on his left hand when the man was still at school. Severus was stuck. Although his resolve was strong, he was still a bit tempted, thus the dilemma.

But then one of the masked Death Eaters, who Severus immediately recognized from the voice as Mulciber, tried to attack Ilya with the Cruciatus, an Unforgivable Curse meant to torture the victim.

_If I join them, they will definitely hurt Ilya. I can't let that happen. I can't let them hurt her. I can't let them hurt the only true friend I have left. I can't let them hurt the girl I like…_

"PROTEGO!" he cried, and the ball of light heading for Ilya stopped in midair, colliding with something unseen.

Severus stepped forward, in front of the white-haired girl, confronting the Death Eaters.

"Ilya," he told the white-haired girl in a low voice, as he prepared himself for the end. "Take the girl and run. I'll hold them off." He cast another Shield Charm, as strong as wide as is possible for him. He knew it would not last from a barrage of curses, and if a Killing Curse was fired, it would be over for him. Still, he thought it would buy Ilya enough time to get to safety and call for help.

"So, you're going to oppose us? You dare defy the will of the Dark Lord," drawled Lucius, as he pointed his wand at them. "The Dark Lord will have no more use for you. You might turn out to become a liability, so this is where we end our conversation. You've made your choice, and a foolish one it is."

He could feel the air fill with malice, as the Death Eaters prepared to fire their spells. He braced himself… then, he heard Ilya whisper something.

All of a sudden, numerous glowing jet black balls shot, not towards him, but in the direction of the Death Eaters. When the barrage stopped, half of them, including Lucius Malfoy, were lying first face on the pavement: the other barely managed to cast a Shield Charm on time. Noticing the fact that the spells came from immediately behind him, they could have only been cast by one person.

"Gandr," said the white-haired girl quietly.

Severus could only watch in awe, as Ilya wandlessly fired more balls of black light from her finger, not giving the servants of the Dark Lord time to recover.

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

_Take the girl and run. I'll hold them off, huh? _thought Ilya to herself. She couldn't help but smile internally._ More like trying to look cool while dying in process._

Having experienced numerous battles in her world, Ilya knew that running away in this case was the worst possible option. She was not yet familiar with the way magic works in this world. Attempting to flee, going on the defensive, would be tantamount to suicide. If the hooded people aimed to kill as Ilya knew they were, from the killing intent radiating in the air. She was not sure she could escape. The brown haired girl's leg was injured, and although Ilya knew she could move at really quickly if she needed to, the extra luggage would slow her down.

_No, escaping would mean abandoning Sev. sacrificing him, I can't let that happen. I can't let him die. I won't abandon him, _thought Ilya.

Also, she had very little knowledge on her enemy's abilities. The only times she saw a wizard in this world cast in earnest provided very little information. However, based on these few times, she noticed she might have one small advantage: speed. It is true that these wizards can cast spells and the effect was almost instant. However, when they fire spells at other people, it goes in the form energy, which flies towards the victim. She hoped her theory was correct, but she was almost certain. The casting may be fast, but the spell itself was slow enough to be easily evaded. The best part, Ilya thought, was that they were nowhere as fast as some of the attacks of people she faced in the past before, not to mention her training with Shirou and Rin (as well as the time she saw her brother fighting the King of Heroes.). Then she remembered…Gandr… a spell meant to bring about illness but was turned by Rin into a nightmarish strike. Other than the promised effect of lowered health status, this version can literally cause instantaneous immense pain and scorch the skin, landing with the force of bullet. Disease, a mean punch, and hot coal, all in one_. Hmmm…_

_Now, I know what to do…_smirked Ilya_ inwardly. In this case, offense is definitely the best defense._

Having mastered Gandr to a level that compares to her teacher Rin, Ilya is able to cast it in machine gun fashion. Concentrating her prana, she hoped could get the timing right and set the pace…

She got it.

_The followers of the Dark Lord, fufufu_…thought Ilya. _They spend too much time on gloating._

Before they could even fire one spell, Ilya launched a barrage of Gandr shots at the hooded figures.

Taken completely by surprise by the numerous spells assailing them, they barely had time to defend themselves. Ten of them fell on the ground, having taken in several hits, unconscious, while the other ten frantically cast _protego_ (which, Ilya realized, created some kind of invisible shield) to defend themselves.

But Ilya wasn't finished yet. Casting numerous Gandr shots is taxing, but she had a lot of prana. She kept up the pressure. The barrage went on for ten more seconds, and then…

"AURORS! THE MINISTRY!" screamed one of the masked figures, pointing towards their left, as streams of red light flew towards them.

Flanked from two sides, the servants of the Dark Lord immediately twirled and vanished into thin air, ignoring the pain from the Gandr shots that grazed them as they lowered their shields. The one called Bella grabbed Lucius and another one of her allies before vanishing. Five remained sprawled on the ground, however.

Ilya grabbed Sev by the hand and dragged him towards the little girl on the ground as the Aurors from the Ministry, as Ilya heard a hooded figure say, ran towards the unconscious figures on the ground.

The girl was no longer crying, possibly in confusion and awe by what she had seen and experienced. She was looking at Ilya intently.

Ilya knelt down beside the girl and looked at her. She took a closer look at the girl's injury and sighed in relief as she noted that it was just a small graze, which she probably got when she tripped.

"Don't worry…Everything will be okay…you are safe now," Ilya assured the girl soothingly, as she took a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wrapped the girl's leg wound with it.

Suddenly, despite her injured leg, the girl jumped onto the white-haired girl and hugged her tightly, crying, not in fear and desperation, but in relief and gratitude, her face buried in Ilya's chest.

She was a stranger to Ilya, but resolved to allow her(the brown-haired girl) to remain that way until she calms down.

After all, she was doing the exact same thing Ilya did to a certain raven-haired boy (just the day before), who was presently gazing at her, with a small smile on his lips. He was there for her when Ilya needed a shoulder to cry on.


	8. CHAPTER 6

**CHAPTER 6: MISCONCEPTION**

(Severus POV)

Severus was feeling uncomfortable. Ministry officials, usurers, and the media will soon be crowding around to see what happened. Being in the center of it all, he knew that he and Ilya, along with the girl, might get taken in for questioning.

There were many questions that Severus himself wanted to ask the white haired girl, of course, but first, they have to get out of here. Already he could see a familiar man with a camera who could only belong to the Daily Prophet.

Ilya, however, refused to leave the eleven-year old child alone. She merely shook her head, and Severus read it as a no(The brown-haired girl was still on her chest.) . She probably plans to accompany the girl until she calms down or someone comes to pick her up. Reluctantly, the raven-haired young man nodded his head in agreement.

The minutes went by. More people arrived at the scene. As expected, Severus saw two Ministry officials, as well as the reporter and cameraman from the Daily Prophet, headed in their direction, no doubt for inquiries. When they were about five meters away from he and Ilya were, however, the wizards had a change in expression, then hurried quickly to where the five Death Eaters (who were already tied up and devoid of their wands) were. The same odd behavior was committed by the next ten or so people who were headed their way.

"Just what did you?" Severus was saying to Ilya, but the emerald-eyed woman did not respond to his question. She was busy talking to the brown-haired child

"So, what' your name young one," Ilya was asking the girl in kind, sisterly tone. The girl had finally calmed down and was once again looking at them, gazing at Severus for a few moments, before turning back to Ilya.

"Evelyn," she replied. "Evelyn Scrimgeour."

"Scrimgeour?" blurted out the Severus in the spurt-of-the-moment. "Are you related to the Auror Rufus Scrimegeour?"

"Sev!" said Ilya. The volume was not raised, but there was weight in her voice, as Severus noticed. She was looking at him warningly, her emerald eyes flashing.

Severus gulped. It was identical to the "stop-being-inconsiderate" look which Lily gave him whenever he got out of line.

Rufus Scrimgeour was a well-known Auror. He was four years ahead of Severus. The man had only been with the Ministry for three years, but he already had quite the reputation as a Dark Wizard Catcher.

Severus, however, knew better than to ask a girl who had just had a terrifying ordeal about such things. The only problem is, he has a knack for sometimes blurting out what comes to his mind in reflex. He cursed himself for not having cured the habit of putting his foot into his mouth.

Ilya was looking at him in a disapproving manner. The brown-haired girl, however, looked pleased with the question. Her hazel eyes were gleaming.

"He's my brother," she said proudly. "He's working to get rid of bad dark wizards who are with You-Know-Who."

"I see so then…" said Severus. He was about to ask more when he noticed Ilya glaring at him, and quickly left the question in his throat. Ilya then turned back to the Evelyn.

"He must be a great person then," said Ilya, smiling gently at the girl.

"Yes, he is," said Evelyn happily. The girl started them telling stories about her brother. Some of her stories were about how her brother protected the people from Dark Wizards, but most of her stories focused on how her brother loved and protected her.

One time, Evelyn told them, his brother received a letter from the Ministry had to attend a meeting with the other Aurors. She said it was compulsory, but her brother ignored it and instead took the day off to spend time with her, because it was her birthday, and he bought her lots of sweets.

Ilya was listening, keeping the gentle look on her face, but the white-haired girl shot Severus with a rather nasty look whenever he was about to open his mouth and interrupt. Somehow, Ilya knew when he was about to do so.

"So, do you love your big brother?" Ilya asked the girl.

"Yes, I do," replied the girl merrily. "I love my big brother. He's the best big brother in the whole world."

Severus felt a wave of emotion from Ilya. It was, as far as he can tell, a mixture of happiness and sorrow. Then, he remembered that Ilya also had a brother, a family. The white-haired girl must have cared greatly for him.

"He's here!" the girl cried out happily. She stood up, and waved her hand at someone in the distance. "Brother! I'm over here!"

"Well, I guess we should be going now," said Ilya. "See you later, Evelyn. Let's go, Sev."

"Huh? You're leaving?" asked Evelyn.

"Yes."

"Why don't you stay for a bit? I'm sure my brother would love to meet you." The girl was getting teary eyed again.

"I'm sorry," replied Ilya in a soothing voice. "But we're really in a hurry. Next time for sure though. We'd love to meet your brother."

The girl paused for a second, looking disappointed. "Okay, then," she said finally.

Ilya and Severus started walking away. But before they could take more than three steps…

SIR! MISS! WAIT! the shouted Evelyn.

_Sir?_ thought Severus. _Do I look like an old man to the her?_ He was about to turn around and scowl at the girl, but Ilya, reading the expression on his face, stepped on his foot.

"Yes?" smiled Ilya.

"Could I at least ask know your names?" the girl said.

"Sure. My name is Ilyasveil. Ilyasveil von Eizbern Emiya. You can call me Ilya for short. See you later then, Evelyn.

Ilya and Severus started walking again, but…

WAIT!

"Hmmm?"

"What about your boyfriend?"

Severus felt his face burning. He looked at Ilya: she was also blushing.

"She's not my…" Severus began, but Ilya stepped on his foot again.

"Just tell her your name," the silver-haired girl said rather scathingly. Her face was still red.

"Severus. Severus Snape," said the raven-haired teenager, as he turned to face Evelyn, still wincing from the pain. "You can call me Severus."

They started walking away again.

MS. ILYA! MR. SEVERUS!

_What is it now_? thought Severus. Once more he and Ilya turned back to look at the brown-haired girl.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SAVING ME!

**-BREAK-**

(Voldemort POV)

Meanwhile, at one of the Death Eater's manor hideouts…

"Forgive us, My Lord. We've done our best to…"

CRUCIO!

The man fell to the floor, writhing in pain and agony, as the curse ignited every nerve on his body.

Lord Voldemort was not pleased. Rufus Scrimgeour was no big threat at the moment, but, young as he was, the Auror was growing in power. He noticed that the man was gifted. He was responsible for taking out three of his most skilled Death Eaters. However, killing one as talented as Scrimgeour would be a waste. So he decided that it would be better he joined the Dark Side. The man, after all, was a Slytherin, a member of the great house of Salazar where Voldemort himself was in when he was still at school. He sent him secret messages, invitation, and knew Scrimgeour could decipher them.

He could not be convinced, however. He had his own principles, his own convictions, and he was brave. He did not fear the Dark Lord, and he was one of the few people who can say his name out openly, without flinching, something which cannot be said of the other Aurors, and even less of the Ministry. Such was the formidable man.

Voldemort knew he could easily kill Scrimgeour if he wanted to. The Dark Lord shows no mercy to his enemies, very little to his followers, and he cares for no one but himself. If Rufus Scrimgeour truly could not be convinced, to honor the man, Voldemort would go out to kill him personally.

The young Auror, however, had one weakness. His sister, the only family Scrimgeour had. Not for nothing was Voldemort the greatest Dark Lord in existence. He had spies in the Ministry itself, and one of them gave him a detailed report on the man he was attempting to recruit.

According to the report, Rufus and his sister Evelyn were orphans. When the young Auror was twelve years old, their parents met an accident while studying dangerous magical artifacts in Egypt, and died. Since that day, Scrimgeour had been taking care of his sister. He was very protective of her, and he would prioritize her safety over his career and, (Voldemort guessed) his own beliefs and principles.

If Scrimgeour could not be convinced the normal way, then perhaps blackmailing him would work. As Voldemort did not want to waste talent, he thought of a plan to force the Auror to join him. He ordered his Death Eaters to continue spying on the man and his sister, and finally, an opportunity presented itself.

Scrimgeour brought his sister with him to office. He requested to have the afternoon off, but an important mission, involving the lives innocent people, came up. Trusting his sister, and believing in the value of lives, Scrimgeour reluctantly agreed to let his sister go to Diagon Alley by herself. He would just catch up with her later.

Upon receiving the report, Voldemort immediately ordered his followers to abduct the girl. They were to stir up trouble in the Alley, as a distraction, while they abducted the girl. Knowing the Ministry, they would not be able to respond quickly enough, so the Dark Lord was not worried. The mission was assured of success, and he would have another talented member, forced though it might be, in his fold. Reluctant though he might be, making him swear an Unbreakable Vow of allegiance and loyalty to the Dark Lord in exchange for one ensuring the protection and safety of Evelyn would work. Things were settled. It was as good as done. His competent Death Eater would kidnap the girl, which would force Scrimgeour to join his ranks or be force to see his sister abused and killed before he himself perished.

The plan failed, however.

"My Lord," pleaded Bella. "I assure you. We really did do everything in our power to take the girl. But…"

"But what?" asked Voldemort in a soft voice. "Tell me, my loyal servant, why were you not able to kidnap the Auror's sister? It should have been an easy enough."

"It was Severus Snape," said Rodolphus Lestrange, as he ran forwards and kneeled, by his wife's side, before the Dark Lord. He and his Mudblood woman got in our way."

"Would you care explain it to me," said a black-haired man, his hazel eyes glowing an evil red, "how you, my loyal servants, can claim that you've done your best, when you failed the mission I gave you?"

"Forgive us my Lord, but…" began Bellatrix.

CRUCIO!

Bellatrix screamed, a helpless heap on the floor.

"But what, tell me Bella?" the Dark Lord's voice now rising. "You failed your mission, failed to kidnap the girl, and you were bested by two underage wizards and while we're at it, one of them a Mudblood, no-less? Twenty of my faithful Death Eaters, cannot even handle a couple of upstart students?"

"My L-l-lord," stammered Lucius. Voldemort turned to look at the man who spoke, one of his eyebrows twitching. The blonde-haired man was evidently holding back a sneeze.

"My Lord," Lucius began, praying and hoping that his Master was not insulted by the way he spoke (He truly did not mean it, but for some reason he was catching a cold.). "Please forgive us for our incompetence. We were arrogant, and it cost us dearly. We were taken completely by surprise. The Evans girl used some kind of wandless magic. It was an endless stream, and she barraged us with the spell. She did not give us an opening to regain our momentum."

"Wandless magic?" said Voldemort, curiosity in his voice. "Did I hear you correctly? A Mudblood casting wandless magic, pushing back twenty of my servants?"

Without waiting for a reply, Lord Voldemort, using Legilimency, probed into Lucius Malfoy's mind. What he saw surprised her. There was a raven-haired boy, standing with his wand out, the transparent Shield Charm noticeably in place, facing Lucius and his companions. Then, he saw a white-haired, green-eyed girl, Lily Evans, who was standing slightly behind him. All of a sudden the world turned blue, and then black, as Lucius was rendered unconscious. The blonde-haired man did not see anything.

"Bella, stand" said Lord Voldemort.

"Yes my Lord." The woman, despite the pain from the last curse, quickly stood up. The Dark Lord gave her a seemingly gentle look, which made Bellatrix blush. He looked her in the eye, and then, she saw flashes of memories, the same ones Voldemort was looking at. He was reading her mind.

"Hmmm…" the Dark Lord seemed to muse, as the probe ended. "It is as you said, Lucius. You were too confident with the overwhelming advantage you had, that you underestimated your opponents, and thus lost it. CRUCIO!" Lucius stumbled, writhing in pain.

Lord Voldemort was surprised with what he saw from his servants' memories. They were indeed telling him the truth. The muggle-born girl, Lily Evans, was anything but ordinary. He saw how the girl, apparently wordlessly, started shooting jet black balls of light from her hand. It was a continuous barrage, and his servants, caught unprepared, were hammered. He saw as his followers desperately raised Shield Charms, desperately maintaining it, as the white-haired girl did not cease her onslaught. Such an attack required a lot of power. The girl must have a lot of magical power and talent to pull it off. Not only that, the wandless spell used was something Voldemort was not familiar with. For someone who had acquired a vast amount of knowledge through the years, it was his first time encountering such. One thing the Dark Lord was certain of though: whatever the girl was using, it was probably Dark Magic.

Then Voldemort had a sudden realization. Severus Snape. No, Severus _Prince_ Snape. _Prince. _Of course! It must have been him. It must have been him who taught the girl such potent magic.

Prince. A pureblood wizard family. Lord Voldemort tried to get them to join his side, but they refused, so he had them murdered. Voldemort himself personally went and killed the head of the family. He remembered the news, a certain member of the Prince family, Eileen Prince was it, who married a muggle… Tobias Snape! Of course! Snape was their last living member, and heir to the House of Prince.

Lucius told him about the boy in a positive light. The boy had talent, and was specially skilled at Potions. Severus even invented his own spells.

A half-blood like himself…hated muggles…hungry for power…a member of the house of Salazar…he would make a good Death Eater. From what Lucius had told him, Severus Snape desired to serve the Dark. He had always wanted the chance to meet Lord Voldemort, and was practically pleading with Malfoy to allow him to see the Dark Lord. Indeed, by now, Severus Prince Snape would have already been a fine addition to his followers…

If not for that Mudblood Lily Evans. She was probably the reason why the raven-haired boy was having second thoughts about becoming a Servant of the Dark Lord. Voldemort was certain now. Severus Snape had potential. Whatever spell that Mudblood girl used must have been to taught to her by the Prince heir. To have him as an ally, to learn about his Secret Arts, which gave a lot of trouble to his Death Eaters…imagine what it could do to the Ministry and the old fool Dumbledore.

Five of his servants were now in the custody of the Ministry thanks to the green-eyed failure of a witch. He did not blame the boy for it. He was merely being misled. If not for her poisoning the boy's mind, the Prince Heir would have already been in His Inner Circle. She must be eliminated…

"The girl Lily Evans," said Voldemort to his followers. "Do any of you know her address."

"No, My Lord, but we do know the address of Severus Snape," said Mulciber. "His residence is near the Mudblood's."

"Very well," said the Dark Lord in his high cold voice. "You have one day. Bring Severus Snape to me. I want him to join the Circle. Eliminate Lily Evans and her family. And do not fail me this time. Another failure will not be tolerated. You are dismissed."

"Yes my Lord," replied the Death Eaters in unison.

**Author's Notes**

Hi guys. I'm glad to see that there are at least a few people who are interested in my work. This is actually the first 'fanfiction' as it is called I've ever posted online. I've actually been writing stories like this three years ago(I've been writing Naruto-Familiar of Zero crossovers for six months, but had to stop due to schoolwork), but never actually shared them with anyone. Sadly, the notes are gone now (Yes, I wrote them now on paper, and unfortunately, yes they were lost.). I was getting bored so I kind of got into it again. Wish I've known about this site then, it would have been better if I was able to share it.

Anyway, to answer some of your questions:

The female heroine in my story is actually based on a visual novel by Type-Moon called Fate/Stay Night. However, this Ilya's past and background is not based on canon. I'm actually thinking of making an F-SN fanfiction for this particular Ilya's route, and it would serve as a Prequel to this HP fiction, though it's still just an idea though. I might end up slipping parts of her past into this one bit by bit, as is progresses.

Why is this not posted in the Crossover section? Well, I don't really know if I'm being stupid or not, but I believe a Crossover will have multiple characters from two different stories/universes. And I think my story is not suited as one.

I'm kind of busy with my job at office (really stressful actually), so my updates might get a bit delayed. I'll try and do so at least one or twice a week though. Anyway thanks again for reading. And to anyone whose got ideas of their own, please review my fanfic. I'm not really that confident with my abilities and constructive suggestions and criticism would be highly appreciated.


	9. CHAPTER 7

**CHAPTER 7: GIRL MEETS GIRL**

(Severus POV)

"Why didn't you tell me there was a form of transportation like this before?" spoke a disgruntled-looking Ilya, frowning at the raven-haired boy.

_Flashback_

_It was four O'clock in the afternoon. After saying goodbye to the brown haired girl, Severus thought it was finally time to head home. Now was not a good time to continue their shopping. When they reached a corner, out of sight of Evelyn, Ilya suddenly stopped._

_"Hmm?" Severus asked the white-haired girl._

_Ilya did not reply, but simply looked at the brown-haired girl. Slightly confused, Severus did the same. They watched as a tall man, (who Severus assumed as to be Rufus Scrimgeour) with similar hair and eyes to Evelyn, ran towards her and wrapped his arms around her._

_"Okay, let's go," said Ilya._

_"What was that all about?" asked Severus._

_"I just wanted to confirm something," said Ilya simply._

_Then Severus eyes slightly widened, as he remembered something._

_"Just what did you do back there?" the raven-haired boy gasp. He was asking Ilya about the odd behavior of people, as they were turning and leaving when approaching them._

_"Oh, you mean why people were ignoring us?" chirped Ilya. Severus nodded, glad that the girl got his message. "Well, I placed a Bounded Field around us."_

_"A Bounded Field?"_

_"Yes, to stop people from bothering us."_

_Severus still looked confused. Ilya continued._

_"A Bounded Field, a kind of protective barrier, which stops people from getting close, making them remember that they have something else more important to do. No one would be able to come near us."_

_"Then why was Scrimgeour able to get through?"_

_"It is the condition I placed on the Field. The only person who will be able to pass through is someone whose priority is Evelyn's safety. Anyone who had other types of intention, such as harming, usurping, gossiping, interrogating, etc. will be affected by the spell, and thus will be unable to approach. I set it to deactivate when someone who truly cares for and prioritizes her comes, so the Field's gone now," she finished, as Severus noticed that other people were now starting to swarm around Evelyn and her brother._

_"I see," Severus, finally understanding the situation. This Bounded Field seemed to be some kind of Protective Magical Ward._

_"So umm…" began Ilya. "I think we should be going now…"_

_End of Flashback_

And now he was facing an irritated-looking white-haired girl, who was brushing off cinders from her from her face and dress. She was wearing a green and white Sunday dress, which was his mother's. The clothes may be plain, but they look good on the white-haired girl.

Ilya's clothes were covered by mud when they arrived the night before. Although it could easily be cleaned, it was the only set of clothes the girl had with her. Severus decided to let her borrow some of his mother's old clothes… and they seemed to fit Ilya perfectly, (As the raven-haired you man recalled, there was one time, during the Christmas Holidays in fifth year, when Severus and Lily were caught in the rain, Severus let his best friend borrow a set of Eileen's clothes. Unfortunately, the girl was really picky with what to wear, so she had actually cast a Shrinking Charm on all of them to fit herself.).

_This means that Ilya and Lily have similar body s… ahhh, what am I thinking!_ Thought Severus Snape.

Then he saw Ilya, wearing one of the clothes his mother owned. She was approaching him. She placed her hands gently on her face and then…

OUCH! THAT HURT! WHAT DID YOU THAT FOR?!

A painful pinch on the cheek brought Severus sharply back to reality.

"You were completely ignoring me while I was talking," fumed the white-haired girl. "I was asking you, why didn't you tell me you such fast transportation methods as this… Floo…Fireplace…Network…or whatever it's called."

Ilya was still pouting, and Severus realized that he had been ignoring the girl when he unintentionally entered daydream mode.

"I'm…sorry," began Severus. "I was just thinking about something…and I sort of… spaced out." Severus could feel himself blushing."

"Oh, and what exactly were you spacing out for," said Ilya, smiling mischievously.

Still under influence of his recent not-so-gentlemanly thoughts, Severus felt his face burn even more from looking at the girl. Severus noticed that the girl was looking at him in satisfaction. She was obviously not happy about being ignored, and she was getting payback for it, by watching his discomfort. Severus' mind was not working properly. A painful silence passed…

"So, then, said Ilya," in a surprisingly business-like tone, as she passed Severus and sat down on a couch. "Sev, what exactly is an Auror? And who is this so-called Dark Lord…"

Severus winced, noticing the serious expression on the girl's face.

**-BREAK-**

(Lucius POV)

"The Dark Lord is not pleased with us," said a black-haired woman. She was tall, proud, and beautiful, dangerously so.

"This is all those two's fault," spat Mulciber. "If that greasy-haired git and his Mudblood girlfriend didn't get in our way, the Dark Lord would have been giving us praises, not firing curses at us!"

The Death Eaters were talking amongst themselves. The fiasco of the failed kidnapping operation was hovering over their heads. Their Master was not pleased with them.

Lucius Malfoy was contemplating on things. The plan was simple. Stir up trouble. Use it as a distraction. Grab the girl. Take her to the Dark Lord. Wait for further instructions. Five people would have been enough. It was an easy task. With twenty people on the job, they were assured of success…

Or not…

Instead they were utterly humiliated… by two underage wizards, no less. Taken completely by surprise, the duo managed to get the better of them, launching an endless barrage of whatever spell it was they were using. Lucius never saw any of it, as he was the first one knocked out cold by whatever curse it was. All he could remember was feeling something like hot iron hitting him in multiple parts of his body, with considerable force before he passed out. From the statement of his fellow Death Eaters, the girl was using some kind of wandless magic, black balls of light, fired at them in continuous succession, which led to their devastating defeat. They barely managed to escape as the Aurors arrived, at the worst possible moment for the Dark Lord's followers.

Fifteen injured, five rendered unconscious, five still out cold, ten of them, including the five unconscious ones, literally catching a cold. Whatever the spell was, one of its effect probably lowered a person;s defenses to sickness.

Also, they failed to capture the girl, the Dark Lord's wrath was set upon them. But the worst was that five of them were captured by the Ministry.

Those five were people Lucius did not know. They were new recruits, and they did not yet have the Dark Mark burned on them. The abduction of Scrimgeour's sister was supposed to be their initiation, and Lucius was supposed to be the one showing them the ropes. Unfortunately, out of foolish pride and arrogance, he revealed his and Bella's name to them when he was conversing with Severus Snape, which indirectly revealed to his non-knowing companions as well. What a stupid mistake on his part. The Ministry was sure to be hot on his trail soon.

It was overconfidence, which led to this current predicament. He was absolutely sure that the situation was under control. He knew that Severus was likely to join them. However, he was also too attached to the Mudblood girl Evans. Had Severus accepted his invitation, Lucius, out of respect for the new recruit, will simply place a Memory Charm on Evans to make her forget the whole event. Then, aside from the Auror's sister, he would have brought with him another wonderful present to the Dark Lord.

If Severus refused, as he half-expected he would, he would just kill them (and perhaps have some fun with the Mudblood girl, who appeared to have changed her hair color). Simple as that.

Severus opposed them, knowing it was futile. Well, that was his choice. The mission would still be a success as planned, and Lucius would be rid of two pests at the same time. Two birds with one stone.

Yet the exact opposite happened. Instead of the other way around, the Death Eaters were instead the ones brought to shame.

The Dark Lord had given them a new mission, to make up for their error. He did not want to displease the Dark Lord even more. If pissed off, their Master's torture sessions will be even longer, and his followers would be subjected under it (Lucius gulped, as the Killing Curse would probably be preferable to a slow and painful death with the Cruciatus curse. The Dark Lord would not care if any of them died, he would merely say they were weak to have not survived such a simple test of endurance, and thus deserved what they got.). Also, the Ministry would be doing a better watch, keeping an out for him…them… now.

ALRIGHT!

Lucius was awakened from his thoughts by a shout from Mulciber.

"Here's what we'll do," he was saying. "We will pay old Snivellus a visit, torture him, force him to tell us where the Mudblood lives. If he still wants to join us, fine by me, but if not, we'll just burn him along with his house. Then, we take the Mudblood's parents as hostages, no , kill all of them but leave one alive as bait. The girl will probably become desparate, and will be easy to kill. Then, after we dispose of her, we dispose of the bait. What do you think?"

"You know," said Lucius, sounding slightly impressed. "For someone who acts before he thinks, that's not such a bad idea."

"Really, you think so?"

"Yes, it is a wonderful plan. Now all we need to do is think of the best way to pull it off."

"Why don't we make a move now," Bella cut in their conversation. "The Dark Lord gave us only one day to complete this mission. We need to act quickly. His patience but not be tested."

"I know," replied Lucius. "But we need to ensure that things go without fail this time. Our enemies may have some more tricks up their sleeves. I hope you haven't forgotten what happened just a couple of hours ago at Diagon Alley?"

The Death Eaters shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes," said Lucius. "They might not actually be that strong, but they are cunning. They took advantage of our bad habits. We were lax, confident, and off-guard, and look where it led us."

"But…"

"No buts, Bella," replied Lucius. He knew there was no point hiding their names now. There were only ten of them in their group now. The other Death Eaters were also assigned missions of their own, so the ones who were sent to Diagon Alley beforehand will also be the only ones sent to abduct the Prince Heir and eliminate the Mudblood.

"It is only five in the afternoon," said the blonde-haired man, taking a look at his watch. "We still have plenty of time to think of a…ahhhh…AHHHH….CHOOOO!"

All eyes were suddenly fixed on Lucius.

"Excuse me," he said weakly.

The sneeze he had been holding back all this time finally got through. Flushing a bit out of embarrassment, he turned his back on his companions, as he started of thinking of the best possible methods of going about their mission.

"Bella," Lucius addressed the haughty, black haired woman.

"And now you want to talk me?"

Lucius ignored the comment. "How is Greyback doing these days."

"Oh, he's doing well," replied the woman conversationally.

"Will it be possible to invite him to come with us tonight? You know how he likes the taste of… young...especially female... flesh…"

"I'll contact the beast," replied Bellatrix automatically.

"Thank you Bella," replied Lucius cheerfully. "And ask him if it is possible for him to bring some of his fellow halfb…werewolves… along…"

**-BREAK**

(Severus POV)

"I see," said Ilya quietly.

In the past hour, Severus, in summary, had been telling her more or less everything he knew about Hogwarts, the Dark Lord, the Death Eaters, Aurors, the Ministry and its different Departments, and other things about the magical world. He also told her about methods of transportation like broomsticks, the Floo Network, Portkeys, and Apparition. There was too much information, too many details that Ilya wanted to find out about, needed to find out about. She asked and her questions, and her Severus answered as best as he could. She particularly focused her questions on offensive spells.

Severus told her about the different hexes and jinxes he knew about and their effects, The Stunning Spell, Disarming Spell, Impediment Curse, and all other useful spells he could remember…Then he told her about the three Unforgivable Curses. The Imperius Curse, which forces the victim to obey against their will. The Cruciatus curse, which causes immense pain, used to torture. And _Avada Kedavra_, the Killing Curse, which will instantaneously kill the target upon contact. Severus shared with Ilya everything he knew.

"Sev?" said Ilya quietly.

"Yes?"

"You were planning to become a Death Eater weren't you?"

The raven-haired boy fell silent to the question. Ilya noticed it. She was quite observant, and she realized.

Severus Snape was finally able to be honest with himself, with his heart. True, he was infatuated with the Dark Arts, he liked using forbidden magic, but he never really wanted to harm anyone. He thought his friends, who were Dark Lord fanatics, the Death Eaters, and Voldemort himself, were just like him. He thought it was where he belonged. He thought they were similar.

Now he realized they were not. They shared the same liking for Dark Spells, but he did not share in their joy in hurting others. He could actually say that the James Potter and the Marauders were closer to the Dark Lord's Servants in nature than Severus ever was, the joy of inflicting pain and torment was a sentiment they closely shared. In his time at Hogwarts, Severus never actually used a curse on anyone who did not do him harm first, and most of the time he only used hexes on Potter's gang. Lily, however, judged him because of his company, and she was partially right, but also partially wrong. She saw the Marauders for what they were, in a way, but was also partially incorrect with her judgment.

"They don't use Dark Magic though," Severus remembered Lily say. She overlooked the fact that the supposedly non-Dark Magic hexes they use was being deliberately utilized to have fun harming people.

"Yes, I was," Severus finally admitted. "But not anymore," he declared, quietly but sincerely, his black eyes locked with girl's emerald ones. After everything that happened, he had lost all interest in the idea.

"Why did you want to become one in the first place?" continued the girl.

Severus fell silent again.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to though," said Ilya, surprising the raven-haired young man. "It must be a personal matter. I'm sorry for intruding in your…"

"No it's okay," replied Severus hastily. "It's a long story though."

And he started telling the white-haired girl about his life. He told her about his mother, his cruel father, his life at home, at Hogwarts, the Marauders and then Lily. The girl simply continued to stare at him in the eye, and Severus got the feeling that she was actually reading him.

"She was the only true friend I ever had," Severus was saying, and he noticed that he was on the verge of tears. "She was the only one who stood by me, despite all my mistakes, yet I hurt her. I called her a Mudblood. After all she did for me I hurt her in the end. In the end when she wouldn't forgive me anymore, I told her that she should have been thankful that I ever thought of her being worthy as my friend…when in fact I was the one who wasn't worthy of her… I was the one who wasn't even worthy of being her friend," Severus finished.

Tears were now flowing from his black eyes. He couldn't take it anymore. All the pain and anguish he felt started flowing out of him.

Ilya approached him, then gently wrapped her arms around him, burying his face in her chest. The man hardly noticed that just the other night their positions were reversed. Like a little kid he wailed and cried, unable to keep his emotions in check.

In the past he used to cry alone, all by himself. Ignored by his mother, abused by his father, he pretended to be strong, exposing a hard exterior while hiding the fact that he was in fact soft and fragile on the inside.

All in all, Severus Snape could say that Lily Evans was truly the only friend he could truly call a friend he ever had. Still, Severus lied to her. No, he had to lie to her. Lily was weak, fragile like Severus. If Severus showed her that he was the same, he thought she would break. For this reason, he had to pretend to be strong. No, he had to be strong. He had to be there whenever Lily needed someone to lean on. He could never truly communicate with others, even with Lily. He could never be truly honest with her. Always wearing a mask, fooling everyone to thinking what he was not, managing to fool even himself.

He had never been truly honest before. He could never be truly honest, even with himself…

Until he met Ilya.

"Don't worry," the silver-haired girl was telling him gently. "It's okay. Your sadness… Your sorrow... Let it all out…I'm here for you…

For the first time in his life, people did not depend on him. For the first time in his life, he had someone he could depend on in return, finally able to release sixteen years of misery and pent-up emotions that built up inside him.

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

The tears have finally stopped. The man was now silent. He had finally calmed down.

She looked at the raven-haired young man, who was now sleeping peacefully, his head on her lap. The silver-haired girl could feel her face tinge red. Still, she couldn't find it in her heart to disturb the boy, who had just been relieved of an awful burden. Somehow, in some ways, she and the boy were similar.

She had been selfish. She had only been thinking about herself, thinking that she was probably the most miserable person in existence. Her family was gone. Her brother sacrificed himself to save her. Her friends perished in the last War, some fighting in the battlefield, others merely victims of the catastrophe. Everyone she ever cared for, dead. She failed to realize that it was impossible for her to be the only person in the world who felt that way.

The raven-haired boy she met, he was kind. He was gentle. He had the air of someone tough and uncaring, but Ilya saw through his illusion. Most people would have been deceived by his façade, but Ilya was not. Like her teacher Rin Tohsaka, some people wear a mask of indifference to hide their true nature. Rin, as Ilya realized eventually, was actually a kind-hearted, good-natured person, but hid it behind her cold-hearted person.

Ilya too, hid behind a mask. She joined the 5th Holy Grail war to kill her brother, to take revenge on the son of his father Kiritsugu, the man who betrayed the Einzberns. She was cold and cruel, and will show no mercy to his enemies. With her Servant Berserker, she set out on her quest.

The truth however, was that Ilya was a fragile girl. She was not fragile because of her short lifespan. She was fragile because she had been hurt, deeply wounded, by the betrayal of the man who was his father. But what hurt her even more was the cruel way she was raised and treated by his grandfather for ten years. To him, she was nothing but a tool, a doll who would do his bidding, win the Holy Grail and open the door to one of the Five True Magics. No one tried to understand her. No one wanted to understand her. She was all alone in the world. She was lonely.

The truth was, all Ilya ever wanted was to be loved, even just a little. A little bit of love, a little bit of understanding. That was what all she wanted.

And it was given to her. When she met Shirou in the War, her objective was to kill him. As time passed, however, things changed. Her brother was different from what she expected him to be. He loved her, and accepted her. Saber, Rin, Sakura, and Fuji-nee were the same. They too, learned to like her for who she was. They loved her. They cared for her. She was no longer alone. She now had a family. Then one by one, they perished… until she was the only one left. She was all alone again.

Ilya took one look at the boy who was currently sleeping on her lap. She did not fully understand his whole situation, but Ilya understood one thing for certain: it is painful to be alone. It is painful not to be loved. It is painful to be shunned, to be hated, to be outcast. It is painful to know you have nowhere to go to. It is painful to know that you have nowhere to belong.

And it is painful to lose a friend, to lose someone you care for, even if that someone no longer feels the same way about you.

"Sev…wake up…Sev…" said Ilya, stroking the boy gently on his head, until he stirred.

"Wha…what…Ilya?" said the raven-haired young man, still in a daze. Then…

WAAAA…I'M SORRY…I MUST HAVE DOZED OFF. The boy shouted, as moved back away from Ilya, realizing what he had been doing. His face was red.

"Sev," said Ilya seriously. "I'm sorry for waking you, but I need to ask you for a favor."

"No, I'm the one who should be saying sorry," Sev replied, still red in the face. "…What do you want me to do?"

"Take me to Lily Evans'…"

**-BREAK-**

(Death Eaters' POV)

"Let's go," said a hooded figure to his two companions. "It's time."

The Dark Lord's followers now started walking towards the raven-haired boy's house at Spinner's End. They were moving based on Lucius' strategy. According to their intel, Severus Snape lived alone, his parent having died a couple years before. Therefore, they were to watch and wait until the man went to sleep. When he did, they were to ambush him, bound him, and try and convince him to join the Dark Lord If they failed, they were to tell him that they had Lily hostage, and force him to swear an Unbreakable Vow of loyalty to the Dark Lord in exchange for her safety.

Not that they were going to let the girl live. According to Lucius, in the panic of the moment, they will be able to trick Severus Snape into swearing an oath loyalty without any of the conditions involving the girl involved. The raven-hair would be devastated, but he would have no choice. He would eventually see the way of the Dark was the right path to take, as after all, he would have been eager to join it in the first place if not for the Evans girl.

The other seven were already on their way to the Evans household, and according to Lucius, there will be others accompanying them as well. It was as simple as taking a look at the girl's address in the Ministry records. Nott, heir to the House of Nott, was easily able to gain access to the records, on the pretense of double checking his O.W.L.s result. Political influence always allows things to move quickly.

The watcher saw the light of the house put out. Then, they waited for about half an hour before they made their move.

They were now walking towards the house. Each of them carried a hand-shaped lamp. The Hand of Glory, a magical item which gives light to one but its bearer. They went through the yard, not noticing a faint red line, which formed a circle around the house, start to glow, its light outshone by the Hands of Glory they had.

"Be careful," said one of the Death Eaters to his companions. "The man's a Slytherin after all. There might be some traps waiting for us inside."

His two companions nodded. They started walking toward the front door, but they found it quite difficult. Little did they know that they would not even be able to reach it.

"Is it me," asked one of the hooded men to his companions. "Or does the air somehow feel rather heavy?"

"It's not just you," replied one of his companions. The man was sweating and panting.

Another two seconds, and the three Death Eaters could no longer move from where they were standing. Two of them fell on their knees. Panicking, they tried to turn and run away from the house.

"Something's wrong…I can't breathe…"

"Let's get the hell out of here…"

But it was too late.

The three Death Eaters, servants of Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark Lord of all times, could only watch in horror, as a dozen swords materialized out of thin air, and shot down towards them.

The Death Eaters screamed as the swords impaled their bodies, dying a very painful death.

It is never a good idea to attempt invading a magus' territory without sufficient preparation.

**-BREAK-**

(Lily POV)

It was her father's, Mark Evan's 50th birthday. The cheerful man told her daughter that she could invite some of her friends over. She had invited the Peter, Remus, Frank and Alice, her friends from Gryffindor house (She despised Potter and Black so they were not invited.).

Unsurprisingly, she also did not give Severus Snape an invitation.

She was greatly saddened by the fact that she had to end his friendship with her first best friend, but it was the only way.

Her Sev was already too deep into the Dark Arts. He liked what he was doing, which was something that Lily considered as…evil. Her best friend even proudly told her that he was held in high regard by Lucius Malfoy, that the man was telling You-Know-Who about Severus Snape in a positive light, and soon he would be joining the Death Eaters, become part of the Dark Lord's inner circle, who Severus would proudly serve.

This was something which hurt Lily Evans.

She did not want to lose his friend, but she did not approve of his ways either. She had given him several hints already, but the raven-haired boy would not listen. Two days before the incident at the lake, she told his friend that she is giving him one last chance, that it was time for him to choose, her or them.

On that day of the O.W.L.s exam, when her former friend insulted her with that awful word, Mudblood, despite the fact that she tried to defend her from James Potter and the Marauders, she knew he had made his choice.

That night, Severus went up to Gryffindor Tower, pleading, asking for forgiveness, but she had had enough. He had made his choice. He had chosen his path, and it was in opposition of the one Lily was taking, It was the end of their friendship. Lily went out to talk him, rejecting his apology, then quickly returned to the common room. From there, she could here her former friend shouting. She could not decipher every, but she heard him shout the world "Mudblood" clear as day. She couldn't help but burst into tears. It's been almost two months. She was feeling better now, but she had not completely gotten over.

_Why Sev_, was the question that entered Lily Evans every now and then.

"Mr. and Mrs. Evans, thank you again for inviting us," she heard Remus say.

"Oh don't mention it dear," Lily heard her mother reply. "It was a pleasure to have you with us."

It was already eleven o'clock in the evening. Most of the guests, old friends of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, had already left, and only Lily's friends remained.

"I hope you don't begrudge us for remaining friends with James and Sirius," said Remus, addressing Lily. "They're actually really nice when you get to know them. Also, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but James…actually…kind of… fancies you."

Lily Snorted. "Well, if they stop bullying people and being such *s**s, I might consider inviting them next time something like this comes up. And as for James, well, he can keep dreaming for the rest of his life."

"I guess we should really be going now," squeaked Peter.

"Bye, Lily," said Frank.

"We'll see you at school then," added Alice.

They were just about to enter the house to leave via Floo Network, when a haughty voice spoke.

"Are we interrupting your party Evans?"

Lily and the group turned around, to see themselves facing seven hooded figures, wearing masks. Death Eaters. Behind them, stood ten rough-looking wizards, wearing tattered robes. One of them had long messy hair, sharp yellow eyes, his teeth bared.

"Fenrir Greyback," said a low voice. It was Remus Lupin, his normally grey eyes becoming yellow and beast-like.

"Well, well, if it isn't little Remus Lupin," grinned Greyback savagely. "How do like the gift I gave you eleven years ago? Amazing isn't it?"

"YOU MONSTER!" roared Remus, and Mr. Evans and Frank actually had to hold onto him to stop him from charging the werewolf.

To say that Lily Evans was frightened would be an understatement. She was terrified. What were You-Know-Who's servants doing, knocking at her front door? Is it Severus? Was he the one who asked to do this? She took one click look at the situation, and saw that things weren't looking good. She didn't even want to think of that possibility, but it is very possible. Still, she knew she ought to try and delay things. If they were distracted enough, one of them might be able to get through the Floo Network and alert the Ministry. She noticed that Frank and Alice were alert, and even the scared-looking Peter. They were not about to go down without trying.

"I don't remind sending you invitations," said Lily coldly, doing her best to stop her voice from trembling.

"Oh," drawled a bored voice. "But we are merely paying you the same courtesy you gave us. Weren't you the one who crashed into our party just this afternoon?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said another voice suddenly, as a jet of red light was flung at Alice's retreating back, apparently attempting to run to the fireplace to Floo away and get some help. She barely managed to dodge.

"And what do you mean I crashed into your party?" confusion noticeable in her voice. "For your information, I never left my house even once today. I was busy with preparations for my father's 50th Birthday."

STOP LYING, YOU FILTHY LITTLE MUDBLOOD! yelled one of the hooded figures. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten what you did!"

"Playing dumb will not work on us, Evans," said one of the hooded figures, and the man removed his mask to reveal the face of a red-nosed Lucius Malfoy. He was coughing a lot, and must have removed his mask because it made it hard for him to breathe. "I'll soon be on the wanted list of the Ministry thanks to you. But no matter. Whether you admit it or continue denying is of no relevance, as you and your friends will die tonight. No Severus Snape will come to save you. Your little parlor tricks will not work this time."

Lily was confused. She had absolutely no idea what Lucius Malfoy was talking about. _But he said Sev will not come and save him this. He must be involved in all this somehow ._thought Lily.

"Can I play with them first?" Greyback was addressing Lucius.

"Do it after they are dead," replied the blonde-haired man.

"Awww, but it's no fun violating a corpse," complained the werewolf. "They can't scream in pain and agony as I take my pleasure time with them. That's the best part."

Lily and her friends went to their pockets to take out their wands, but before they could do so, seventeen jets of light, all green, were already flying towards them.

AVADA KEDAVRA, the attackers roared in unison.

Lily watched, as if in slow motion, the jets of light approach. The attack was launched in such a way that escape was impossible. No matter what they did to evade, duck, move to the left, to the right, or dodge, each of them were assured of getting hit by a curse. And even if they miraculously dodged the first batch of Killing Curses, their enemies were already preparing to launch another batch of spells. They were trapped. There was no escape.

Lily closed her eyes, awaiting her inevitable death. And then, two voices cry out, in sucession. The second was a familiar male voice, and Lily knew that it could only belong to one person. The first one, however, sounded very much like her own.

RHO AIUS!

GET BEHIND IT! ALL OF YOU!

**-BREAK-**

(Lily POV)

Lily Evans knew it was the end. There was no possible way that she could have survived getting hit by a Killing Curse. When she heard her own voice cry out strange words, she thought that she must snapped.

She kept her eyes closed. And then, she heard Remus and Franks' voice.

"What the…"

Lily opened her eyes.

Then she saw it. There was a glowing object in front of them. It was an astounding sight. Even for someone who lives in a world of magic, Lily had never seen anything like it.

The shield was pinkish red in color, and it looked so much like a flower, with seven petals. It was like a giant hyacinth, and it appears to be protecting them. Jets of green light were still flying towards them, but the spells simply dissipated as they hit the flower, causing it no visible damage. Lily heard the Death Eaters conversing with each other, their voice carrying the tone of mixed confusion, irritation, and awe.

"Impossible."

"Our spells can't get through?"

"What the hell?"

"What kind of magic is this?"

The Death Eaters stopped firing, reserving their energy.

"Hmmm…" mused a voice, which sounded exactly like Lily Evan's. "You've wasted all that magic, yet you can't even penetrate a single layer of the Aius. How disappointing…"

Lily looked around for the source of the voice, and then… she saw her.

It was like looking in a mirror. The girl looked exactly like Lily. The main difference was the color of her hair, which was silvery white instead of dark red, she was slightly paler, but as for all other aspects, they were strikingly identical. Even their eyes... the girl had a pair of emerald eyes like Lily. They were like twins.

Lily was confused. So were her friends, as she saw that they had same confusion expression as her: they, too, were looking at the white-haired stranger. Their attackers, however, shared the same sentiment. One of the hooded figures was unable to contain herself.

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? she shrieked.

"Forgive me for my earlier rudeness, Bella" said the white-haired in a conversational tone, but loud enough to be heard clearly by everyone. The Death Eater gasped at the girl's instant recognition of her by her voice. "I apologize for not introducing myself at that time."

All eyes were on the mysterious strange, her silvery hair floating gently in the wind.

"Good evening," greeted the green eyed, silver-haired girl. "My name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya. You can call me Ilyasveil for short."


	10. CHAPTER 8

**CHAPTER 8: TRUST**

_Flashback_

_(Ilya POV)_

_"Oh no, what should we do?" Sev asked Ilya, realization appearing to come to him at last, and looking really worried at the revelation. _

_She had told him, in short, of their current situation. The Death Eaters were coming for them. The Death Eaters were coming for Lily._

_Ilya had actually been thinking about the possible repercussions of their (um… mostly her) actions that afternoon at Diagon Alley. They battled against twenty Death Eaters (Ilya almost all of the work, of course), and got the upper hand, battering them with her Gandr shots before they could even retaliate. There was one problem, however._

_At first she had been unsure of how the little skirmish would turn out. It was twenty against two after all, and she had very little knowledge on her enemies' abilities. It was both ways, however, as the Dark Lord's servants had no idea of what she was capable of either._

_Ilya had been saved because her brother, Shirou Emiya, made use of a ritual that sacrificed his own existence to fuse his soul's energy with hers. The white-haired girl now possessed all of his abilities, his Magic Circuits included, as well as all the weapons that were recorded in Unlimited Blade Works, which now also belonged to Ilya._

_Unlimited Blade works, a Reality Marble, an inner world, which exists in a person's mind. With it Ilya can record anything she sees that fall under the category "blade" or "sword." Then, she can project exact replicas of the weapons she had seen, from kitchen knives, to well-crafted swords, scythes, spears, even legendary blades of immense power (Shirou managed to glance at hundreds when he faced Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon), producing copies which are close to the original. Ilya can utilize these for battle, and she can actually make them appear out of thin air, and fire them like arrows._

_Though she could Trace swords quickly and efficiently however, she was not sure if it was fast enough to match the casting speed of wizards, it would leave her open even for a small amount of time, so she left using it out of the question. Gandr was the better option. When the Death Eaters were already getting hammered by the black curses, however, that was a different story. It would have been the perfect opportunity to rain swords down on her adversaries. With the enormous amount of prana she possessed, she would have been able to continue firing Gandr shots while preparing the weapons in her inner world._

_Still, Ilya had been debating with herself on whether to use it for not. For one thing, if she used it, she would reveal another one of her abilities. But that was not the main issue. While Gandr was designed to weaken and disable, swords were practically designed to kill. She was not sure how Sev would react if she were to murder twenty people in front of his eyes, regardless of their evil nature. The brown-haired girl was watching, and she did not want to give her even worse nightmares than what she may have already from what she has experienced and currently experiencing. Watching people impaled by swords, and lie in pools of blood was not something eleven-year-old children should be allowed to see._

_Then people from the Ministry arrived, the Death Eaters panicked and fled. The confrontation was over. The battle has been won._

_Or not._

_It was true that her enemies were forced to retreat. However, the point was, they were not eliminated. They escaped. They retreated. They merely fell back to regroup._

_The extra thinking cost her. She let them live. She allowed them to escape. She allowed them to survive. Having the momentum, she should have been able to eliminate all of them. But she didn't._

_Ilya did not regret saving the girl. Evelyn, as she later learned, was like her in a way, having a brother who loved her like Ilya once had._

_What she regretted was the fact that her enemies got away. Thanks to her indecision, what should have been an end became a beginning. The Dark Lord's servant will undoubtedly seek revenge. Ilya and Sev were in danger. _

_Well, Ilya, not so much. The Death Eaters actually had a case of mistaken identity. They actually thought that Ilya was Lily Evans. This instead, posed another problem._

_Unknown to Sev, Ilya had actually placed a Boundary Field around his house. She noticed that something similar to it was spread wherever they went, and, based from the information she got from Sev, these must be the so-called Ministry Wards. All it did however, was detect the usage of Underage Magic (Though for some reason Ilya's magecraft remained undetected.). Though it was constructed on short notice, Ilya was sure the defenses she placed would suffice, taking out intruders while giving Sev and herself enough time in case their enemies try to surround or overrun them. Besides, there was the Floo Network, and they could use that. If the Death Eaters had some influence over it, the Boundary Field will still give Ilya enough time to utilize Tracing. The main problem would be a full-on curse which would blow up an entire area with one attack. The barrier would be enough to deal with people entering the area, but an attack from afar with the force a grenade would work. There was not enough time to add such a defense yet._

_Lily Evans, however, had absolutely no idea of her current predicament. Unbeknownst to her, she was probably already a primary target of the Dark Lord (Ilya fidgeted slightly in guilt.). When Sev told her of his story, Ilya knew how much he cared for this girl. Heck, Ilya guessed that Sev must have seen her as more than a friend, hence, it may be the reason why he was so open to Ilya, if this Lily was really identical to...she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. She was starting to dislike the bi…woman, even though Ilya had never met her. Still, the person had never done anything wrong to her at all (not knowingly or deliberately, at least). The white-haired girl also knew that if this Lily Evans died, her(Ilya's) Sev would break. She can't allow that to happen._

_Suddenly, a bell rang. The Boundary Field Ilya put in place had two circles. The outermost one stretched up to ten meters from the Sev's house yard perimeter. The bell will ring whenever someone with malicious intent entered it._

_"We've got company," Ilya whispered quietly to the raven-haired boy. "Sev…Sev?"_

_But the raven-haired young man was not listening. He looked panicky. He appears not to know what do, and he mumbling endlessly._

_"Oh no…Lily…what should I do…what can I do…Lily…she's going to…"_

_"She's not going to die!" Ilya hissed furiously, keeping her voice as quiet as possible. She forced the boy to look her in the face. "Everything will be fine."_

_The two stared at each other for a few moments, black eyes on emerald._

_"But what can we do? Hmmm…" Sev spoke quietly. Ilya was glad with the tone of his voice. He seemed to have got back his usual composure._

_"Well, the first thing is, we have to get out of here, and get to the Evans'," whispered Ilya conversationally. "And without being noticed by the three idiots outside. They're probably there as observers for now, and if they notice us leaving they'll probably alert their other companions."_

_"Hmm…"_

_"Should we use the Fireplace…um… Floo...whatever?"_

_"No," said Sev flatly. "As you know, Lily and I are no longer friends. If we were to suddenly burst in to their fireplace, she might not welcome us and…"_

_"Okay, okay, it might jeopardize the whole point of coming there," snapped Ilya, "What about Apparation then? I know of a few people who can travel in similar fashion in my world. It will save us a lot of time."_

_"Sorry, but I don't know how to Apparate."_

_Ilya huffed at Sev, slightly disappointed._

_"Which leaves us only one other option."_

_Sev grabbed a box from a corner, and took out from it a slipper, which once belonged to his mother, and then muttered portus._

_"We're travelling by Portkey," said the raven-haired young man. "But it causes a flashing light and makes a loud pop," the raven-hair admitted. "They're bound to notice, How do you propose we leave without alerting them?"_

_"Don't worry," said Ilya. "They're inside my territory. They won't notice. They won't see or hear anything…"_

**_…anymore after my Bounded Field is done with them, that is_**_…Ilya smirked inwardly, not saying aloud the last phrase of her statement._

_End of Flashback_

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"Good evening," Ilya greeted. "My name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya. You can call me Ilyasveil for short…Now then…"

Without waiting for the other people in the vicinity to recover from their shock, Ilya started raining Gandr shots upon the Dark Lord's servants. This time though, they were prepared.

The Death Eaters and their companions went into formation. Five of them stepped forward, casting Shield Charms, while the rest stood behind them, and started firing hexes of all kinds at the white-haired girl on the roof.

Ilya frowned, as she was forced to stop firing successive shots, dodging the red and green lights coming her way. This is why she should have finished them off earlier. Now that they have some grasp of what she can do, they were now able to come up with a strategy to counter. Although Ilya also fought such battles, moving around while firing spells, the accuracy and number of shots she can fire while in motion was reduced.

"HAVING TROUBLE, MUDBLOOD?" shouted Bella's taunting voice, obvious pleasure ringing in it, as she fired another Stunning Spell at Ilya.

The only consolation was that most of the dark wizards were no longer firing Killing Curses, as she noted by the color of the hexes. It appears that using Unforgivable Curses continuously can be tiring to the user. Still, Ilya was having trouble dodging, even as she Reinforced her body to increase her physical strength and speed.

It was also a problem that she had to maintain Rho Aius, as the Death Eaters were well organized, and they were still firing spells at the Evans residents. Unlike the use of blades, maintaining a protective weapon consumes three times as much prana. Although Ilya possessed a huge amount, it was still exhausting. There was no time for her to focus on projecting swords either, as that still required her a lot of concentration.

She can already project weapons almost as quickly and efficiently as Shirou or Archer, but she was not yet as good as either when it comes to maintaining them. It required sufficient practice and focus. Her swords will simply disappear if she was too preoccupied. While Ilya can project and cast other spells at the same time, she is unable to do so if she is too distracted (In this case, she would have to focus all her attention and strategies on her swords, thus limiting her options.). In the battles she fought before, Ilya had reliable friends and allies around her, which enabled her to utilize her abilities to the fullest.

There were people who shared in her burden then, but this time Ilya was alone. Ilya ducked as she narrowly avoided a jet of green light, but lost her balance. Ilya slipped on a tile, and began to fall off the roof.

"Damn it," muttered Ilya, as she maximized her body Reinforcement to minimize damage from the inevitable fall, but she knew that she would be exposed to her enemy's spells for the time being. She would not be able to dodge.

The servants of the Dark Lord paused for a moment, taking careful aim at the white haired- girl now that she would be unable to avoid their curses…

"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" shouted a familiar voice, and in the next moment, someone caught Ilya and prevented her from hitting the ground.

An explosion erupted upon the Death Eaters and company, taking them completely by surprise. The explosion kicked up dust into the air. When the smoke finally cleared, it revealed seventeen bodies lying on the ground.

"Ilya, are you all right?" asked a raven-haired haired boy who caught the white-haired girl, worry obvious in his voice. He was holding the girl in bridal fashion.

"You sure took your time, Sev," replied the white-haired girl, blushing.

_Not exactly as planned,_ thought Ilya, her face still bright red, _but at least it worked…_

**-BREAK-**

_Flashback _

_(Severus POV)_

_It was around ten in the evening. Ilya and Severus had just Port Keyed to the park where he and the white-haired girl first met. The travel, though time-saving, was really uncomfortable. Although Severus had already used it a number of times, he still felt nausea._

_He was surprised that Ilya, while looking worse for wear herself, was doing better than he was, despite the fact that it was her first time travelling via Port Key._

_"So what now?" Severus asked the girl once again. They were finally able to leave his house without being detected (Well, he was sure the Ministry will be sending him another owl in a little while, he might even get expelled this time, but there were more pressing matters at hand.) by the Death Eaters. The park was only a couple of minutes walk from the Evans residence (one if they ran)._

_"Do exactly as I tell you." said Ilya, in a surprisingly commanding voice. "And everything will be fine."_

_The plan was simple. Severus was to wait in the shadows and wait for an opportunity to launch the most powerful, area-of-effect spell in his arsenal. According to Ilya, the Death Eaters will be more alert now. Even if they still appeared arrogant (or still really as arrogant as ever), they will be a more formidable force to deal with now than they were a few hours before. Therefore, Ilya will use herself as bait, distract the Death Eaters, and when they are completely off guard, Severus was to launch a massive spell on them._

_Severus actually had to fight the urge to come out from hiding behind a tree in the Evans' yard, as Lily and her companions were face to face with the Death Eaters. He saw that the Death Eaters had brought some werewolf friends along, Fenrir Greyback, the one with worst reputation, included. However, revealing his position will undermine their little operation. He trusted Ilya's judgment, who was hiding on the roof by the chimney (Severus was actually surprised when the white-haired girl, in one bound, jumped up from the ground and onto the roof, without making so much as a noise. Even the werewolf Remus Lupin, who had superior senses, did not notice anything.), and Severus remained on standby. _

_Ilya's prediction turned out to be correct. The Dark Lord's followers, while still fond of taunting the opposition before attacking, were well-organized this time, launching a synchronized set of Killing Curses that left no room for the targets to dodge or escape._

_Severus was about to run out towards them (Not noticing how stupid it was to voluntarily get himself hit by a Killing Curse) when he heard Ilya shout something which he could only guess as a spell._

_RHO AIUS!_

_In an instant, a large seven-petalled flower (as Severus saw it) appeared. It deflected the first set of Killing Curses with ease. Ilya, whatever spell it was she used, was powerful enough to block a barrage of Avada Kedavras. Then, he saw that Pettigrew was about to scurry into the house, possibly to get to the fireplace. The hyacinth-like shield, while wide, was still limited to shielding only an specific area, and the Evans' front door was outside of its protection. Severus realized that if Pettigrew ran, the others might too, Lily might too, and they would be killed. Severus' brain processed all this in less than a second, and thus shouted!_

_GET BEHIND IT! ALL OF YOU!_

_The hyacinth-like shield spell stood firm. All curses that went into contact with it simply vanished. _

_Severus watched as Ilya started to battle the servants of Lord Voldemort. This time though, (as Ilya once again predicted), things weren't going as well as before. Still proud and haughty, the Death Eaters were now less lax and were constantly on guard. They were not giving the white-haired girl any opening to take advantage of. Having werewolves was a great help, as they had superior senses. They were also constantly looking around in every direction, as if they were expecting an attack from there. Unlike the time in Diagon Alley, they kept their guard up. The exchange continued. The Death Eaters firing a variety of hexes at the white-haired girl while Ilya continued barraging them with Gandr shots, to no avail, as five wizards maintained their Shield Charms, which held well, protecting the group while the rest continued on the offensive._

_Then, to Severus horror, he saw Ilya lose her balance as she narrowly avoided a Killing Curse. He saw, as if in slow motion, Ilya about to fall off the roof. He saw the werewolves wearing a triumphant smile on their face, as they and the Death Eaters began to take aim at Ilya. For a moment that seemed to last an eternity, Severus was frozen. Then, he remembered._

_"I will use myself as a distraction", said Ilya. "When you see an opening, or when you notice the Death Eaters lower their guard, take advantage of the opportunity. At that time, launch the most powerful spell you know, and one which can hit multiple targets at the same time would be preferable."_

_Severus did not like the idea. It was a dangerous gamble. True, he wanted to save Lily, but he did not want Ilya to die in the process either. But still, as Ilya put it, there was no other way._

_"Don't worry," Severus remembered the white-haired girl say. "I'm not someone who can be killed easily."_

_"But," Severus remembered attempting to argue. But Ilya interrupted him._

_"And besides Sev, __**you're here.**__ I know everything will be fine," Ilya had cut him off. __**"I trust you with my life."**_

_The memory brought power into Severus' being. Concentrating with everything he had, Severus focused all his energy into his spell._

_BOMBARDA MAXIMA!_

_He heard it. He heard the screams of the Death Eaters and werewolves alike as the spell exploded in their midst. But Severus did not care. There was only one person in his mind at the moment. Without a single glance at his work, Severus ran, as fast as he could, towards the white-haired girl, just in time to prevent her from crashing to the ground, catching Ilya in his arms._

_End of Flashback_

(Severus POV)

"Ilya, are you all right?" Severus asked worriedly at the girl he was carrying in his arms.

"You sure took your time, Sev," complained the white-haired girl to the raven-haired boy.

"You told me to wait for an opening!" Severus retorted. "I was merely following your orders, Your Majesty. You have no idea how worried I was!"

"Whatever," snapped Ilya, who was feigning annoyance, but seemed happy with his reply. "Anyway you can put me down now." Severus then noticed that Ilya's normally pale white face was red.

"Oh, right," said Severus absentmindedly, as he felt himself blush as well.

"I better get myself some new clothes," Ilya muttered. "While these look good, they hinder my movement. Not suited for battle."

"Then, we'll just have to…" Severus began, but suddenly fell silent, as he felt something was wrong.

They heard groaning voices, coming from the scorched patch of land where Severus' spell hit.

"Not bad, kids, not bad at all, you almost had us there," growled a beast-like voice.

Fenrir Greyback was back up on his feet, as well as five of his werewolf companions, their wands pointed at Ilya and Severus.

…


	11. CHAPTER 9

**CHAPTER 9: RUFUS SCRIMGEOUR**

_Flashback_

_(Severus POV)_

_"Not bad, kids, not bad at all, you almost had us there," growled a beast-like voice._

_Fenrir Greyback was back up on his feet, as well as five of his werewolf companions, their wands pointed at Ilya and Severus._

_End of Flashback_

(Severus POV)

The situation was not looking good. Severus put a lot of power into the explosion he cast and was panting heavily. Ilya looked exhausted as well: she was barely standing up, and was wincing. She appeared to have sprained her ankle.

Severus placed all he had into it, put all the power he could possibly muster into it. He thought the spell was enough.

It wasn't.

As far as Severus remembered, he got a clear shot at the combined force of Death Eaters and werewolves. Their defensive formation required them to almost huddle together, and therefore the spell he cast should have worked well enough. Yet, these half-man-half-wolf monstrosities managed to take a hit without appearing to suffer any serious damage, save for a few scratches and burn marks.

Greyback smiled triumphantly.

"Avada…" he began. But then, in an instant, he froze, then, he completely turned his back on Severus and Ilya, as he and his werewolf companions did the same.

"PROTEGO!" the werewolves shouted together, just in time to block around a dozen jets of red light that were speeding towards them. Then, the six half-man, half-beast wizards grabbed their fellow companions, as well as five of the masked figures.

"It seems that luck is on your side this time…till next time then…" Greyback grinned at them, as he and his company began to twirl, then vanished, just as around twenty newcomers, Ministry Officials by the look of them, arrived at the scene. They were safe. Ilya seemed to be think that the danger was over now, as she whispered two words, and the flower shield that was protecting Lily and the others disappeared.

"Trace…off."

Severus was just about to let out a sigh of relief, when he saw something brown speed towards the white-haired girl beside him, almost tackling her to the ground.

"MS. ILYA! MR. SEVERUS!" cried the eleven-year-old girl, as she wrapped her arms tightly around Ilya. "THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE ALRIGHT!"

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Evelyn…" Severus gasped, as he watched the brown-haired girl continue snuggling up to the white-haired one.

Ministry officials were now crowding the Evans residence. From the symbol on their robes, he could tell that they Aurors, and other members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Severus could hear them talking, as they gathered around the scorched patch of ground where his spell assailed the Death Eaters, where two masked figures lay unconscious. Three of the Ministry Officials were already interviewing Lily, her parents and her friends. Severus noticed that they (Lily and company) were continually shooting glances at him and Ilya, who was currently trapped in Evelyn's embrace. Severus, Ilya and Evelyn were now standing behind a tree (The same tree where Severus hid in ambush) to avoid attention, partially hidden from view.

Severus wanted to talk to Lily, but he didn't know what to say to her. He did not have the right words, did not know how to explain the whole situation to her. Besides, right now, he was more concerned for Ilya. He was sure Lily and the others (_Ugh… and the others…can't believe I just thought that,_ pondered Severus to himself.) would be fine. After all that happened, Severus was extremely tired, both physically and mentally.

"Evelyn, I'm glad you're worried about us, but you still shouldn't have come here," Severus heard Ilya gently scolding the younger female. "It's not safe."

"But I thought…I thought…" stammered the brown-haired girl.

"Still," the white haired-girl gently responded. "You shouldn't be putting your life in danger. You shouldn't be making your brother worry too much. He would never have allowed to come…"

"Indeed, I wouldn't have, but she grabbed on to me as I was about to Apparate, and wouldn't let go," said a low voice behind the raven-haired young man.

Severus jumped in surprised. He turned around. The raven-haired boy did not even notice nor hear the man approach.

He was tall. As the man stood face to face with them, Severus noted that he only reached up to the man's chin (Severus was about a head shorter.). He wore a stern face, and had a commanding air around him. He was young, but Severus could tell from the man's face that he had gone through rough times in life. There were already a few strands of white visible among his brown hair, and there were black lines around his fierce brown eyes.

"Good evening," he formally greeted, as he held out a hand to Severus. "I am Evelyn's brother. My name is Rufus Scrimgeour."

Severus took the hand and shook it.

"It is an honor to meet you sir," replied Severus, knowing the man's reputation. "I am…"

"You are Severus Snape," the man cut him off. "And the young lady must be…"

"BROTHER!" cried Evelyn cheerfully, as she charged the man like a small tank.

To Severus' surprise, Rufus Scrimgeour actually knelt down and caught his sister, to prevent any chance that the girl hurt herself.

"Evelyn…you're… choking…me," the Dark Wizard Catcher said pleadingly to his sister, as he desperately gasped for breathe, the girl's arms were hung around the man's neck, as she happily swung back and forth it.

Severus' mouth fell open. Just a few moments ago, the man had the look and air of someone formidable, a man who hunts down powerful Dark Wizards for a living. Right now, however, the Auror looked as if a five-year old could take him down easily.

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

Ilya, for a short while, was deep in thought. For the second time in one day, she allowed her enemies to escape. One miscalculation affected the result.

Werewolves. Ilya had never met one before, even in her world, but she had heard stories about them. They were half-human, half-wolf beast, and when it was full moon, the wolf side would be at its strongest, hence the transformation.

According to the legends, werewolves are both vicious and powerful. They have heightened senses which far surpasses a normal human's. They have greater physical strength, endurance and their battle instinct is astounding. Also, it is said that their wounds heal at least five times faster than a normal human's. In some stories, it is even said that werewolves are immortal, and the only way to kill one would be to put a silver bullet through its heart.

With her Reinforced hearing, she heard what one of Lily's companions, Remus Lupin was telling a Ministry official.

She heard the initial exchange between the boy and the man called Fenrir Greyback before, and Ilya was now able to confirm three things.

First, Fenrir Greyback was a werewolf.

Second, ten of the seventeen people she and Sev fought, including Greyback, was a werewolf.

Third, Remus Lupin was also a werewolf.

The fact that she failed to notice something odd about some of her adversaries irritated Ilya. She felt it. She sensed it. She felt that there was something different in the air. At first, she thought it was just the aura of battle preparedness that the Death Eaters had. But now that she thought about things, there was something else. She should have been able to tell. Right now, as she focused a bit of attention to Lupin, she realized.

These werewolves, Ilya finally dawning on a conclusion, had a feel to them, similar to Dead Apostles.

Dead Apostles. Vampires. They are powerful beings, able to use magic, and their physical abilities far surpasses that of a humans'. They also have very long life spans, and are indeed, extremely hard to kill. Ilya fought a number of them in her world, so she knows. She knows how tasking it is to slay one, let alone survive an encounter with one. When Ilya fought against the Dead Apostle Endou, one on one, it was only through sheer luck that she managed to win. A split second advantage made all the difference. Otherwise, she would not be alive right now.

The truth was. Ilya was impressed with the spell Sev used. It caused a huge explosion, and Ilya was sure that it would have either killed, or at least badly injured their enemies. She knew that all wizards were bound to have some level of magical resistance, but an attack of that magnitude should have been enough to incapacitate all of them.

Yet Greyback and more than half of the werewolves were almost undamaged. Though they were not in the level of Dead Apostles, werewolves were undoubtedly strong. Still…

If she had finished off the Death Eaters at Diagon Alley in the first place, then this wouldn't have happened. When she fell off the roof, Ilya actually twisted her ankle, so her movement and evasion was considerably diminished. While she knows it will heal soon enough, Ilya hated the fact she had been injured at such a critical moment.

Sev was exhausted from using his spell. Lily and her friends not used to such situations, and were frozen on the ground, useless. She, Ilya, after two consecutive battles, was also low on steam, not to mention she was badly strained from maintaining the Aius to protect useless statues…erm, Sev's friends.

If the Aurors hadn't arrived when they did…well, while she was sure she could find a way for them to survive, she was sure they would not be able to end it unscathed.

_Still, what is done is done, no sense dwelling.,_ thought Ilya. _I guess I better try and get a move on with my research. I may need to do a lot of planning, and information is the key. For now though…_

After finally freeing himself from his sister's headlo…embrace, the tall, brown-haired man, Evelyn's brother, the Auror Rufus Scrimgeour, approached Ilya and, like with Sev (Rufus told his sister that he needed to talk to "Ms. Ilya and Mr. Severus" alone, then asked one his colleagues to watch the girl for the time being. Evelyn complained, but seeing his brother was being serious, reluctantly went with the female Auror), the man also held out a hand.

"Scrimgeour, Rufus Scrimgeour."

"Emiya, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya," replied Ilya, shaking the hand.

"Now, then, that the formalities are over," began Scrimgeour in a business-like tone. "I would like to ask you a few questions."

_Interrogation, as expected,_ thought Ilya.

"In case you haven't noticed, Mr. Auror, there are at least seven other people here, aside from me and Sev, who had a front row seat to what transpired here," said Ilya, before the Dark Wizard Catcher could even begin with his first question. "If you need answers, well, your colleagues are already getting it out of them."

"No, I'm not asking you about what happened here," said the brown-haired man. "I want to ask you about something else."

"And that would be?" said Ilya.

"Why did you save my sister?"

Ilya paused for a moment. She had not expected such a question, especially from an Auror. Was it some sort of trick question? Was the man trying to fool them in some way?

No. Rufus Scrimgeour may be a Dark Wizard Catcher, but from what Ilya can tell, based from all that she saw about this man, he cared a lot for Evelyn, and undoubtedly prioritized his sister over his profession.

"Do you really need to have a reason to go and save someone who is in trouble?" asked Ilya, replying to the question with another question.

The Auror fell silent for a while, looking at Ilya straight in the eyes.

Then, he smiled.

"I see," he said finally, his face lighter and less harsh.

"And what about you?" Scrimgeour turned to Sev. "Don't tell me you helped out for the same reason?"

The Auror was looking at the raven-haired boy intently. So was Ilya.

_Just tell him yes,_ the white-haired girl thought, and she actually started mouthing at Sev to follow her lead. Ilya was sure the boy understood her gesture.

"No," said Sev finally. The Auror raised his eyebrow, then his eyes narrowed.

_What the hell do you think you're doing? _Ilya mouthed at the boy furiously.

"No?" inquired the Dark Wizard Catcher, and his face was starting to harden again. "Then why did you face the Death Eaters? Why did you help out my sister?"

Ilya noticed that the Auror was becoming serious again.

"It was never my intention to help your sister," Sev began. "In fact, had Evelyn not told us you were her brother, I never would have known. As for facing off against Death Eaters, I know that's stupid. I'm a Slytherin sir, and it is in my nature to be cunning enough to avoid life-threatening situations."

"Then why did you do it? Why did you face them, when you could have just stayed out of harm's way?"

"I just wanted to protect Ilya, nothing else matters," said the raven-haired boy, honestly and bluntly.

The air froze for about a second. And then…

"I see, I get it now," Scrimgeour said. The previous tension was gone, and the Auror was now wearing a wide smile on his face.

"You… you weren't serious just now, were you?" Ilya asked Sev, her face burning red.

"No, I'm not joking. I'm completely serious," replied Sev honestly as he turned his head towards Ilya. He too, was blushing.

Rufus Scrimgeour, the renowned, serious, young, Dark Wizard Catcher, was laughing heartily.

"Of course you were serious," the Auror added. "You don't need a reason to protect the girl that you like now, do you?"

"Wha… what do you… wha…"

"I…huh…what was I…what?"

The teasing statement from an unexpected source caused Ilya and Sev to blush even more deeply, as both of them stammered.

An uncomfortable minute passed, as Rufus Scrimgeour continued laughing.

**-BREAK-**

(Rufus POV)

Finally, the Auror managed to control his mirth, and spoke once again in a businesslike tone. There was, however, no force or pressure stressed in it this time.

"Now, seriously, Sev…" Rufus began, still chuckling a little bit.

"It's Severus," the raven-haired boy interrupted.

"Alright then, Severus? Ilya? It's okay with you if I addressed you in those names?"

Ilya merely nodded. Severus merely grunted.

"Great, and I'd appreciate it if you stop calling sir, Mr. Scrimgeour or ," said Rufus, putting stress on the last name. "Just call me Rufus."

Rufus cleared his throat and continued.

"Anyway," he began. "I really need you tell me what happened here. True, my colleagues are already interviewing the Evans, but I would like to hear your version of the story." Rufus looked at them intently.

The two remained silent, however.

Rufus sighed.

"Look," said the Auror in a low voice. He waved his wand in the air and muttered a spell. Immediately the world around them was silent.

"Privacy ward," said Rufus. "Look, if you don't trust me I completely understand. But I'm sure that the people over there are telling my colleagues all the details, without holding back, from their point of view. I won't be able to help you if I do not have enough information."

A moment's silence. Then…

"How can we be sure we can trust you?" she asked in scrutinizing voice, looking Scrimgeour straight in his brown eyes.

"Well, if you want me to, I will swear an Unbreakable Vow to never divulge to anyone any and all sensitive information you give that you don't want others to know unless you personally give me permission to do so," he replied.

"Unbreakable Vow?" inquired the white-haired girl, but her question was immediately followed by the raven-haired boy's shout, looking shocked.

"WHAT?" Severus shouted. "Unbreakable Vow? But if you break it…"

"If I break it, I die," Rufus finished the sentence. The Auror noticed that Ilya's eyes slightly widened from this piece of information.

"How do you form this…contract?" the girl said finally.

"This is how it goes," said Scrimgeour in a businesslike tone…

**-BREAK-**

(Rufus POV)

"Those two are with me," reported Rufus to his superior Richard Parker, head of the Auror Office, pointing at the raven-haired boy and white-haired girl who were currently sitting under a tree with his sister Evelyn. "I've already finished asking them questions."

"Alright then," said Parker. "I will be expecting your detailed report on my table by tomorrow morning."

The young Auror merely nodded.

"But you know," Parker continued. "I really think we ought to take these people in for questioning, especially those two..."

"Don't worry Richard. They're good people, I'm sure of it," said Rufus.

_Flashback_

_(Rufus POV)_

_Rufus Scrimgeour. He was a man of action. He has two main goals in life. One, to rid the world of evil. Two, to keep his sister safe and happy. _

_Thus he became an Auror, a Dark Wizard Catcher. In just six months from his entry to the Ministry, he has been given that position, and performed his task so well, that in no time, he had the trust and respect of his colleagues, even though he was the youngest. The head of the Auror Office, Richard, a fifty year old veteran, was a very good friend, who Rufus looked up to as his mentor. The man was unlike many in the Ministry, who focused in politics and self-gain. Richard Parker was different. He too, truly wanted to make the world a better place, and for this Rufus respected him. They had a similar goal._

_By eliminating Dark Wizards, the twenty year old Auror believed that he was making the world a better place, a place where his sister can live safe and happy._

_The events of the day just proved him wrong._

_While he was out on a job, helping the members of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical creatures get rid of trolls attacking a wizarding village, a plot to kidnap his sister was set in motion._

_It was just another ordinary day. His sister, Evelyn, had just received the acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was ecstatic. Rufus promised the girl that he would go with her to Diagon Alley._

_Rufus broke that promise._

_The Auror did not have a choice. There was an emergency, lives were at stake. Trolls were attacking in force, and his assistance was required. Rufus knew that by helping out he would be able to save lives, to get of evil creatures who were harming the Wizarding Community._

_At first the girl was pouting, complaining. She did not want her brother to leave her. Eventually, Rufus was able to calm her down, by telling his sister that she can go on ahead and that he'll catch up with her later. Excitement rose up in the girl's eyes. Evelyn was happy again._

_Then, as he had just taken down the last troll, word reached him that Death Eaters were attacking Diagon Alley._

_Evelyn._

_In an instant Rufus realized that he overlooked something. He was an Auror, a Dark Wizard Catcher, and he hell knows of his reputation as a young and talented wizard. Even Lord Voldemort himself, who was the current leader of the Dark Forces (as Rufus dubs them), wanted to recruit him, though of course, the Auror refused. He had nothing to fear. In the three years he was in the Ministry he had already survived through a number of battles, and managed to take out a number of powerful Dark Wizards in the process. He was always in danger, and thus he was always prepared. He could face the dangers._

_But Evelyn could not. She was just a child, she did not know of the harsh realities of the world. Scrimgeour was horrified, realizing how careless he had actually been. By letting his sister go to Diagon Alley, alone, unprotected…_

_It would only be natural for his family to be targeted, and Rufus only had one… The attack on Diagon Alley… the letters from Lord Voldemort… the Ministry Official Rufus has suspected was on the Dark Lord's side, overhearing his conversation with his sister…_

_Without another thought, Rufus quickly Apparated to the place, and frantically looked everywhere for his sister, running around like a madman. Then, he saw people crowding, Ministry Officials, the media, bystanders, near a destroyed building, Eeylop's Owlery. _

_Evelyn wanted to buy an owl._

_ Fear gripping his heart, fear he had not felt even when a Killing Curse missed him by an inch, Rufus hurried to the place. He ignored everyone, ignored his fellow Aurors, ignored the media, ignored the questions. There was only one thing in his mind: find his sister, keep her safe, make sure she is safe._

_The he heard a voice._

_"Brother! I'm over here!"_

_Rufus turned in every direction, frantically searching. The usually calm and collected Auror was in a panicked state, it took him a while to pinpoint where the voice had come from._

_And then she saw her. Evelyn. His precious little sister. She was alive. She was safe._

_Without pausing to think, he ran as fast as he could and then embraced his little sister. Thank God! She's alive. She's safe. Rufus cried silently as he embraced his sister._

_Then Rufus noticed something. A white handkerchief was wrapped around his sister's leg. Her eyes were a bit puffed, as if she had just cried. At once, his Auror instinct began manifesting itself._

_Fortunately Rufus and his sister managed to get away before the media could hassle them. Back in the safety of their house (which was protected by Fidelius Charm, aside from other enchantments, and Rufus was Secret Keeper, meeting that only he and Evelyn can enter it), he asked his sister what happened._

_Immediately the girl jumped into telling him about how a white-haired girl and his boyfriend protected her from twenty mean Dark Wizards of You-Know-Who. Evelyn told him of how a girl named Ilya took down the twenty hooded men while the boy defended her. _

_"And then, she started shooting spells at You-Know-Who's people, they didn't stand a chance," Evelyn was saying._

_Rufus was confused. What her sister was saying did not make any sense. It was nothing short of impossible. How can two wizards manage to hold their own surrounded by twenty, and Death Eaters at that?_

_The Auror then decided that it would be better to just take a look at what happened himself._

_While Rufus did not yet teach his sister Occlumency or Legilimency (as it is a stressful matter, and it could hurt a child) he did teach Evelyn how to extract her memories, into silver strands (Rufus taught her this so that he could get a good look at whoever was bullying his sister and pay them back.). The Auror, after all, owned a Pensive._

_Evelyn handed him the memories. Then, after placing them into the basin, he jumped in._

_To say the he was shocked would be an understatement. Rufus was extremely surprised with what he saw. Rufus watched as the silver haired girl wandlessly cast multiple jet black balls of light and fired them at the Death Eaters, while the raven haired boy stood in front of her, maintaining a Shield Charm on standby. The green-eyed girl, who ever she was, was an incredibly talented witch. But the battle was that the only thing that got Rufus' attention._

_It was the boy. Rufus watched the memories, from the moment the white-haired girl first arrived, up to the time when the she and the raven-haired boy left._

_The young man was Severus Snape. He was a Slytherin, ambitious, and, as the Auror remembered while he was still in school, the raven-haired boy was undoubtedly a supporter of the Dark Lord. Severus Snape was always talking loudly about it in the Slytherin common room, with his buddies (including Avery, Wilkes, Mulciber, Nott) who were also Dark Lord fanatics. Severus actually looked up to Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black, who were ahead of him in years. (True, Rufus was also a Slytherin, but he had never, not even once, thought of joining Him. Rufus' stand was against evil, and as far as he is concerned, Lord Voldemort was evil. Then again, the reason why he was Sorted into the Serpent's House was probably because of his great ambition to rid the world of evil, talk about ironic.)_

_"Ilya, take the girl and run. I'll hold them off." Rufus saw the memory raven-haired boy state._

_Rufus was confused by the young man's sudden turnaround. He was facing off against the Death Eaters, against Lucius Malfoy, who he idolized, of all people. After all his rants of wanting to become one of the Dark Lord's Servants, here he was, openly defying them._

_Rufus was pondering on things. Later that evening, however, a snowy-white owl arrived at his house, carrying a note. The message was short._

_Death Eaters Attacking_

_Spinner's End, Evans' Residence_

_Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya _

_Immediately Rufus Scrimgeour alerted the Ministry, and got dressed as quickly as he could. He did not know why, but he believed the message, for some reason his Auror instinct screamed at him that it wasn't a hoax. _

_He was just about to leave for the designated Apparation Point (Rufus got a message via owl of where the Aurors will assemble before proceeding. Parker, his boss, as well as many of his colleagues, trusted him, so his claim that there are Death Eaters was accepted without question.) when he felt someone tugging at his clothes._

_It was Evelyn, and she was holding the note the white owl was carrying. She wanted to go, but Rufus told her that it was too dangerous, and that she can't come. Unfortunately, just as Rufus began to spin, his sister grabbed onto him again, and got brought along ride._

_Sighing, Rufus placed a Disillusionment Charm on the girl before any of his colleagues can spot her (The Aurors, of course, placed Disillusionment Charms on themselves before heading out for the Evans' as well.). He did not want them to be distracted by an irresponsible Auror who brought a little girl along._

_They arrived at the Evans' just in time. Their sudden appearance forced their enemies' retreat. It appeared that Fenrir Greyback and his pack of wolves were collaborating with Lord Voldemort. Rufus caught a glimpse of something that looked like a large pink flower before it disappeared. The Auror was curious, but he was much more interested. There they were, the white-haired girl and the raven-haired boy who apparently saved his sister's life._

_Sensing that it was safe, Rufus removed the Disillusionment Charm he cast on his sister (Resulting in a raise of eyebrows from his colleagues.), and allowed her to go to the white-haired witch. _

_The Ministry officials now started their inquiry. Being Aurors and fighters as they were, all of them immediately noticed the white-hair and raven-hair who were quietly slipping out of sight with the brown-hair, behind a tree. Rufus, however, asked Parker, the Head Auror, for permission to be the one to interrogate them, so the others proceeded to interviewing the Evans residents._

_The yard was scorched, the house was damaged. Two Death Eaters left lying on what appeared to be the remains of a huge explosion. The young Auror was already sure as to who were the ones responsible for it. _

_Thus, he questioned them. He wanted to know why they did what they did. Rufus could never be completely at peace if he didn't know the reason behind their actions. Then, two statements, one each from the white-hair and the raven-hair, felt as if they were piercing through Rufus' very being._

_"Do you really need to have a reason to go and save someone who is in trouble?" said the girl._

_"I just wanted to protect Ilya, nothing else matters," the boy declared._

**_I just wanted to protect Ilya, nothing else matters... Keep his sister safe and happy_**

**_Do you really need to have a reason to go and save someone who is in trouble? Rid the world of evil._**

_Scrimgeour couldn't help himself from laughing. The words were different, but for all purposes, their essence was the same._

_I will save every person I can save._

_I will save who I want to save._

_I will protect everyone._

_I will protect the ones I love._

_Contradiction. The two concepts, while both meaning well, contradict each other to an extent._

_Selflessness_

_Selfishness_

_Yet, which one is really selflessness?_

_Which one is really selfishness?_

_Rufus Scrimgeour felt as if he was looking at two mirrors, each mirroring one of his firm beliefs. The girl wanted to save everyone. The boy wanted to save the ones he truly care for…_

_Still, which path should Rufus Scrimgeour take, the one or the other?_

_Finally he found the right answer._

_He smirked inwardly, as he looked at the blushing faces of the girl called Ilya and the boy called Sev, as the Auror teased them._

_There was no way he can choose one or the other._

_He will choose both, he will never give up on either._

_Selfishness it is… well in a good way…_

_End of Flashback_


	12. CHAPTER 10

**CHAPTER 10: TO EACH HIS OWN THOUGHT**

(Richard POV)

The Head Auror was deep in thought. He, along with two of his subordinates, were the ones interviewed the Evans and their guests.

They all stated things in a different manner, but the information they conveyed was the same. From the inquiry, Parker noted that:

1. Seven Death Eaters, along with ten werewolves (According to one of the witnesses, seven were wearing Death Eater masks, while the rest had a scent he was certainly sure belonged to werewolves), seventeen wizards in all, attacked the Evans residence. Two members of the group were recognized: Fenrir Greyback(Recognized by one of the witnesses) and Bellatrix Lestrange (addressed by name by a white-haired girl). Their primary objective was to kill the girl named Lily Evans.

2. The Evans were about to be killed, when a white-haired girl, who looked strikingly identical to the girl called Lily Evans, appeared on the Evans' roof, and joined the fray. The girl used some kind of defensive spell which blocked the Death Eaters' Killing Curses with ease. According to one of the witnesses, the spell produce a huge, glowing pinkish red colored, flower-like object, and it stood firm against the spells of the Dark Wizards.

3. The white-haired girl, who introduced herself as Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya (Parker was not sure of the correct pronunciation), engaged You-Know-Who's supporters in battle, seventeen against one. Apparently, this girl Ilyasveil must have offended the Death Eaters or You-Know-Who himself in some way. For some reason, due perhaps to the uncanny resemblance, they mistook her for the girl named Lily Evans.

4. The battle raged on. According to the witnesses, the white-haired girl was holding her own against the seventeen powerful wizards. She was barraging the Death Eaters with wandless spells. However, as things progressed, the Death Eaters appeared to have the advantage.

5. The white-haired girl lost her balance, and was about to fall, when a huge explosion that shook the entire area erupted. A newcomer entered the battlefied, and launched an explosive spell on You-Know-Who's supporters. According one of the witnesses, the man's name was Severus Snape, a Hogwarts student, who was in the same year as them. According to another witness, Severus Snape was a friend of Lily Evans (Though the girl herself remained silent when she was asked to confirm her companion's statement.).

6. Unfortunately, more than half of the werewolves only received minor injuries, despite the strength of the spell, and were able to stand up. One of the witnesses added that Fenrir Greyback was the first one to get back up, hostility present in his voice. The battle was about to resume again when the Ministry Officials finally arrived, forcing the opposition to retreat.

7. When asked why they did not bother to help the witch and wizard who apparently (obviously) came to rescue them, (Parker concluded the same thing, and one of his fellow Aurors was irritated as she too, came to the same conclusion.), or at least go and get help, however, they all fell silent, twitching guiltily. (Parker guessed that they were simply unable to move due to the shocking events, and were unable to respond accordingly, disoriented as they were. _They're still kids after all, and the two adults don't have magic,_ thought Parker understandingly.)

Based on the information he acquired, as Head of the Auror Office, he knew what he had to do. Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya and Severus Prince Snape will have to be taken in for further questioning. They were not criminals, according to reports, but they undoubtedly hold key information, which could be valuable to the Ministry, and perhaps in the campaign against the Dark Lord.

The boy Severus Snape. A Hogwarts student. He knows about the boy, because the head of the Improper Use of Magic Office included him as one of her topics of conversations. Apparently, Severus Snape had been illegally performing underage magic in succession, using multiple spells. Due to the Trace, the Ministry is always made aware when wizards below the age of seventeen use magic.

Summoning Charm, Banishing Charm, Levitation, Repair, Shield Charm, and worse, an unrecognized spell, all in one day. From what Parker got from the witnesses, Severus Snape used some kind of spell which exploded in the midst of the Death Eaters. Although the boy would, and should undoubtedly be allowed to get away with some of his spells with a warning (plus a Ministry letter to Hogwarts ordering to put the boy in detention as punishment). But the use of an unknown spell, is a different matter.

Parker, an understanding person, knew that the boy, facing powerful Dark Wizards, probably used it because it was the best option he had in the life-threatening situation, and the old Auror believed that he should not be punished for it (In case some people debate that it was Dark Magic, he would argue that it wasn't.). Still, these were enough grounds to subject the boy to a more thorough inquiry.

The white-haired girl, on the other hand, was a much harder case. Parker could not comprehend her. He could try and search the Ministry Records, but Parker's instinct told him that there was nothing there on the girl.

As Aurors, they had full permission to perform Legilimency during interviews, inquiries and interrogations. Parker did this as protocol, but he was always as gentle as possible, not to ensure that his mind probe wasn't noticed but to ensure the person he was facing did not get hurt because of it (The case is different when Parker was interviewing criminals who he was absolutely certain caused other people pain, in which case he tried to probe and hurt them as badly as possible.).

It was easy, as the witnesses focused on the memory as they talked about it, so Parker and his companions did not need to delve in too deeply.

The white-haired girl, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, was a mystery. Even as he probed into the memories of the witnesses, Parker could hardly understand anything. The girl's magic, the girl's fighting style, the fact that she was able face off again seventeen Dark Wizards all on her own, her quick reflexes in avoiding multiple spells fired at her, the strange rain of spells she used against the Death Eater, and especially: an extremely powerful shield spell which could block the Killing Curse.

Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse, the most unforgivable of the Unforgivable Curses. There was no counter-curse for it, no spell which could block it, it would pass through a Shield Charm as if it were nothing but air. From his experience in battles, the best way to avoid certain death from the green curse was either dodging it, meeting the spell with another spell before the Killing Curse got too close to take effect, or block it with a solid object.

Yet the girl's spell shield blocked multiple Killing Curses, and it remained unaffected.

_Rho Aius_. It was the spell the girl used. _Rho Aius_. He had heard that somewhere before. Something was familiar about that name, but Parker just couldn't get a grasp on it. It was not much of a lead, but there was something to it.

What appears to be the best clue, however, was not the girl's magic or abilities, but the girl's appearance. The girl bore a striking resemblance to the Muggleborn Lily Evans.

Parker pondered on this. While it seemed that the white-haired did come to rescue the red-hair, Lily Evans did not seem to know anything about. From the probing he conducted, the girl's reaction showed that it was the first time the two ever encountered each other (at least as far as the red-hair was concerned.)

The Head Auror, however, knew that it was the best lead they had. The two girls were identical, different only in their complexion and hair color. Their eyes, specifically, were the same. They wore the exact same pair of emerald green eyes.

Richard Parker knew, it would take some time, but perhaps he might find something by looking up the family tree and history of Lily Evan's mother's and father's side, as well as research on the white-haired girl's own. Einzbern…Emiya… At least that was a start.

Also, Parker also had enough authority to take the white-haired girl in for questioning, but then…

_Flashback_

_"Those two are with me," the young Auror told his superior. "I've already finished asking them questions."_

_"Alright then," said Head Auror. "I will be expecting your detailed report on my table by tomorrow morning." _

_Rufus nodded in agreement._

_"But you know," Parker continued. "I really think we ought to take these people in for questioning, especially those two..."_

_"Don't worry Richard. They're good people, I'm sure of it," said Rufus. _

_End of Flashback_

At first, Richard Parker was surprised, that of all people to ask him not to take in people for questioning, it would be this upright young man. Rufus would take in anyone, even innocent bystanders, just to obtain information which could be helpful, although the young Auror never hurt them. The man was behaving rather oddly.

But then, Parker saw the brown-haired, eleven-year-old girl, Evelyn, sitting together with the white-hair and raven-hair the Head Auror planned to interrogate. The girl was Rufus' sister. Something clicked in the older Dark Wizard Catcher's head.

The Diagon Alley incident. At the time, the young Auror found his sister close to the area where the Aurors briefly confronted the Death Eaters.

The Head Auror remembered. When he and his subordinates arrived at Diagon Alley to respond to the situation, the Death Eaters were already in disarray. There were people already engaging them, and he remembered seeing…

Jet black balls of light battering the hooded figures.

It was the same spell. Parker was sure of it. He did not see where the shots were coming from at Diagon Alley, as there were stores blocking the view, but the veteran Auror was becoming certain of something.

Parker, an understanding person, did not bother to ask Rufus about the Diagon Alley incident, as he gave his subordinate space to breathe, having been just frantically searching for his sister, as he finally found her. He was going to ask him about it later, when the young Auror regained his composure. Parker did not want to ruin the mood. Still…

They managed to capture five Death Eaters. Unfortunately, all of them were of noble blood. They had backers in the Ministry, (not to mention the fact that they were not branded with the Dark Mark), and it will probably take a while before anyone is allowed to interrogate them.

_To hell with corruption and politics_, thought Parker. But he had no choice but to obey.

There were two other eyewitnesses. According to them, around twenty Death Eaters, wearing hoods, were ganging up on three people. They were too far to hear anything or see things clearly, but according to the eyewitnesses' descriptions…

And then it hit him. While Parker maintained an expressionless face, he was actually wide-eyed with realization mentally.

A brown haired girl.

A black-haired young man.

A white-haired young woman.

The Head Auror looked again at the three people who were currently chatting under a tree…

_He knows something, but he's keeping it all to himself,_ thought the Head Auror.

A lot of possibilities passed through the Richard Parker's head. There is something which his young subordinate is not telling. Still…

_He's a good and upright person,_ thought Parker. _If he's vouching for those two, there must be a good reason._

Richard Parker decided to trust the young man's judgment. In the two and a half years he worked with the young man, he saw that the the young Auror was righteous, disciplined, and principled.

And also, as Parker noticed, Rufus was a good judge of character. He was quite able in reading people's personalities without having to read their mind using Legilimency. Parker was sure that the man who he sees worthy to succeed him as the next head of the Auror Office will tell everything when the time was right.

Parker watched as Rufus' sister started hugging the white-haired girl, who was apparently struggling to breathe.

_I have to make sure certain details don't get out to the press, or the rest of the Ministry,_ thought the veteran Auror.

**-BREAK-**

(Remus POV)

Despite the recent happenings, Remus Lupin had finally been able to compose himself enough. Perhaps it's one of the conveniences that comes with being a werewolf (He shuddered inwardly in self-disgust at the thought.). Still, it was hard to process everything that had happened.

Death Eaters…the battle…the white-haired girl who looked so much like Lily…Severus Snape…wandless magic…explosive spells…the Killing Curse proof shield spell…werewolves…Fenrir Greyback.. (Remus growled as the despicable grinning face of the one who turned him passed through his mind.).

There were so many questions running through his mind that he want answered.

_Flashback_

_Remus overheard one of the Ministry officials talking to his companion._

_"Those two are with me…"_

_Remus watched as he saw a somehow familiar brown-haired Auror point in the direction of Severus Snape and the white-haired girl, as he talked with an older person who was apparently his superior…_

_End of Flashback_

The white-haired girl…Who exactly was Ilyasveil von Einzbern Emiya? Who exactly was she? Why did she look so much like Lily, that the Death Eaters ended up mistaking Lily Evans for the white-haired girl? Could she be a distant relative? Why were the Death Eaters after her? What is her relationship with Severus Snape?

Why was Severus Snape, the proud Death Eater fanatic, an undeniable supported of You-Know-Who, fighting against the very people he planned to join? Why was he apparently working with the Aurors and the Ministry to take down the Dark Lord? His desire to join the Dark Lord, was it nothing but a façade? Was it all an act?

There were so many questions that going through his mind, and it made Remus Lupin's head hurt. He looked around at his companions, and noticed that they wore the same confused look that he had.

Still, there was one thought that the teenage werewolf saw clearly.

_Those two…they saved our lives_, thought Remus.

Whatever the reason, whatever the circumstances, the white-haired girl and the greas…raven-haired gi…student rescued them from certain death.

He looked at Lily, Frank, Alice and Peter.

Though Remus Lupin never shared in the joy James and Sirius had of tormenting the raven-haired boy, he did not like him much either, because he was infatuated with the Dark Arts, and a You-Know-Who supporter…

Or not…

_Guess I must've been wrong about him...,_ thought Remus Lupin, sighing._ We owe him now, but at least now we know that he's on our side._

-**BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

It was one o'clock in the morning. After asking permission from the Aurors (Meaning Rufus Scrimgeour had to do the all the talking, of course), and saying goodbye to Evelyn (The brown-haired girl's Auror for a brother actually had to extricate Evelyn from Ilya (who did not want to be the one to push the girl off, not wanting to hurt her), who was putting up a good fight as she hung on to the white-haired girl), Severus and Ilya finally got back to the house, to get some well-deserved rest.

When they arrived, however, an unexpected sight greeted Severus' eyes.

"What the heck…what the hell happened here?" Severus gasped, as the raven-haired young man suddenly felt sick.

On the yard were three hooded figures, Death Eaters, each lying on a pool of blood. They were dead. Flies were already swarming over them, but that wasn't all…

One of them had an arm detached , which was lying a couple of feet away from the main body.

The second had a leg severed from the whole.

Severus noticed that there were spots of blood on the bodies, as if impaled by something thin, long and sharp on each affected area.

And the third…was missing its head. There was however, an almost-ball shaped lump three feet from the body, still wearing its Death Eater mask.

Severus was shaking uncontrollably. He placed a hand over his mouth to stop himself from vomiting. He was trying regain control of himself, when he heard a chillingly cheerful female voice.

"Hmmm… I guess it worked after all," mused Ilya, her voice frighteningly calm, her silvery white-hair flowing, her emerald eyes glinting, a small smirk on her terrifyingly pale white face. "Sev?"

The white-haired girl turned toward Severus, as her smirk widened.

Severus Snape was lost for words. At this very moment, he wanted to flee, to run as far away as possible, fear gripping his very being, the raven-haired boy shaken to his very core.

Cold sweat running down his face, Severus Snape lost control of himself, and his world turned black...


	13. CHAPTER 11

**CHAPTER 11: DREAM**

_(Severus POV)_

_Severus Snape was standing in an unfamiliar landscape._

_It was winter. The trees seemed as if they were not alive, leafless, stiff as stone. Cold wind swept through the terrain, chilling everything in its path. There was no warmth. There was no joy. The forest was like a frozen hell._

_In the middle of the forest, the raven-haired man saw a child. She was small, skinny, with silvery-white hair, and ruby-red eyes. Somehow, the girl seemed so familiar._

_She was alone, freezing. No fire was burning to keep her warm, her thin white dress cannot possibly defend her from the cold. Her feet were cold, for she walked barefoot. She was dragging with her a huge stone object, which was shaped like a giant club, which was more than twice the girls' size, and the effort undoubtedly caused the girl additional immense pain._

_The girl was panting. The girl was breathing heavily. Severus could tell that she wanted to cry out for help, but somehow she did not, for she knew that no one would come to save her._

_Severus watched, as the girl walked towards a clearing in the forest, where the snow-covered land was flat, where the girl would be more vulnerable, where the weather, the wind, would be at its most merciless. The girl started shoveling away snow, with her frail white hands, until there was a patch of land free of it._

_Then, to Severus horror, the white-haired girl held out a small knife, and cut herself in the wrist, blood trickling down._

_In the distance, Severus could hear the cries and howls of animals. Wolves._

_The ruby-eyed girl was shivering ceaselessly, both from the cold, and from fear of the creatures. Still, for some reason, despite all that she was feeling, the girl was able to keep her face calm and composed._

_The raven-haired man was even more horrified, as she watched the girl draw some kind of circle with symbols on the clear ground, using her own blood. Finally, it was completed. _

_From the distance of the animals' cries, Severus could tell that beasts were getting closer The raven-haired man shuddered. He had a fear of werewolves, and this fear extended to the non-half man, half-beast version._

_The white-haired girl now placed the giant club to the center of her creation, with enormous effort, careful not to smudge any of the blood-drawn symbols._

_She now stepped backed from the circle she created and began chanting. The girl was speaking in a different language, but for some reason, Severus could clearly understand was she was saying._

**_Ye first, O silver, O iron_**

_Severus did not why, but the white-haired girl seemed so familiar…even the little girl's voice…it seemed to belong to someone he knows._

**_O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract_**

**_Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg._**

**_Let the descending winds be as a wall_**

**_Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve._**

**_Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut._**

**_Five perfections for each repetition._**

**_Set._**

**_Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade._**

**_If thou submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond…_**

_The wolves have arrived. They have now found the source of the smell of blood. There were around twenty of them, and they circled around the frail white girl, closing in…_

_The raven-haired man wanted to run, to grab the girl and take her away out of harm's way, but as he tried to do so, he realized for some reason, he couldn't move. He was helpless…_

_Severus could feel it. He could feel the wolves' murderous animal instinct, as they found a prey they could feast on._

_He knows the girl was frightened. She kept her sorrowfully calm face, but her knees were shaking. Still, she continued the ritual, her ruby-red eyes filled with determination._

**_I make my oath here._**

**_I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heavens._**

_The beasts were getting even closer, calculating the distance._

**_I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades._**

**_Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,_**

_The wolves were now in a leaping stance, ready to pounce on the girl…_

**_come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance-_**

**_Yet, thou serves with thine eyes clouded in chaos._**

**_Thou, bound in the cage of madness_**

_The wolves sprang up and rushed forward, their mouths wide open, their teeth bared, barking as they sped toward their prey. _

_Severus could only curse himself for being frozen like a statue, unable to do anything._

**_I AM HER WHO COMMAND THOSE CHAINS!_**

_The white-haired girl cried out, as if in desperation, the last sentence of her aria._

_A bright flash of reddish white light engulfed the area, as the wolves momentarily retreated some distance, although still within sight of their prey._

_And then, as the light was starting to dissipate…_

_The girl screamed. She screamed in pain. She screamed as if every single nerve on her body was on fire. She was lying, freezing, snow-covered ground, rolling left and right, crying in agony. She was kicking around wildly, writhing convulsively, as glowing red lines appeared all over her body._

_Now more than ever, Severus desperately wanted to get to the white-haired girl, who felt so familiar. There was nothing he could do. He was stiff as a statue. He could not help her. He could not protect her. He could not save her. He was powerless._

_"No…"_

_The wolves have now regained their composure, after the shock the flash of light gave them, and were once again advancing upon the white-haired girl._

_"No…"_

_One of the wolves was about two meters from the girl now. The white-hair, with enormous effort, tried to stand up. She lifted her head a bit, and her ruby eyes widened as she stared straight into a pair of merciless yellow ones._

_The wolf licked itself, it's mouth opened wide, as it lunged, aiming for the frail girl's neck._

_"No!"_

_Severus Snape did not know how or why, but he knew who she was, the lonely white-haired girl, as she cried alone, defenseless, unloved, unwanted, alone, in the middle of a frozen hell, about to be devoured by beasts._

_"ILYAAAAAA!" the raven-haired man screamed, as Severus heard someone shouting his own name._

_"SEV…GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF…HEY, WAKE UP… SEV!"_

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"SEV, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF…HEY, WAKE UP…SEV!" a familiar voice was shouting at him, as someone shook him forcefully.

Severus was awakened from his reverie, and when he opened his eyes, stared straight into the face of a panicked-looking, white-haired girl with emerald green eyes.

"Ilya!" cried Severus. "Whaa? Where am… what happened?"

"You were talking in your sleep," replied the white-haired girl, as she sat down on a stool and sighed in relief. "Then, you started shouting… you were in a convulsion…you must have been having a nightmare, so I had to wake you up."

"I see," replied Severus, as he started to calm down. The raven-haired teenager noticed that he was sweating and breathing heavily in his sleep.

Then he remembered. The vicious wolves…the cold hell…the white-haired girl who looked exactly like Ilya, except for the eyes, the shape of her eyes were the same, except that they were ruby-red, not emerald-green…freezing…suffering…in pain…in agony… abandoned…alone...

_It was just a dream,_ thought Severus, trying to convince himself. But somehow, he knew that what he saw was real. The vision that he saw, it really did happen. Ilya and the small child in the dream did not just look the same. Severus knew, he did not know how, but for some reason he was absolutely certain, the girl in his dream, and the girl in front of him right now, they are the same person. Severus was sure, that what he saw was a glimpse of Ilya's past…

Severus remembered. Ilya told him that she had no family, that she had lost everyone she ever loved.

The raven-haired young man did not know exactly what happened, but he saw it, he sensed it, he felt it, the pain and sorrow that was embedded in the girl's heart.

And knowing it for a fact greatly pained Severus. _How did she survive that hell? How much has she had to go through in life? How much has she had to suffer? _thought the raven-haired young man. _The torments I endured cannot even compare to what she experienced…_

As the raven-haired boy was deep in his thoughts, the white-haired girl suddenly placed a hand on his forehead, making the boy sit up on his bed in surprise.

"I'm glad," Ilya told Severus, smiling gently. "You're looking much better. The fever's gone now. Last night you were really burning up." Severus noticed that there was a basin on water and a wet towel by his bed side. The girl must have been tending to her the entire time.

Then Severus remembered clearly what he saw before he passed out. Three dead bodies...

"!" Severus placed a hand in his mouth. It was definitely not one of his most pleasant memories.

He remembered the corpses of the Death Eaters who entered his yard, and the state they were in when he saw them. He did not know how it was done, but Severus recalled the mangled state the bodies were in…an arm detached…a leg detached…the head detached…

He knows who it was who was responsible for what happened. He saw her smirk slightly at her work, which brought a cold chill down the raven-haired boy's spine. But then…

The frozen hell…the deathly cold breeze…the white-haired girl…walking barefoot on the ice cold snow, a thin white dress that could not possibly protect from the cold…the white-haired girl screaming in agony…

_What happened to the Dark Lord's three servants, or the way they died is of little relevance. Ilya only did that to protect my home, to protect me,_ thought Severus.

"Sev, is there something wrong?" asked Ilya worryingly. The white-haired girl was looking at him intently, as he had been silent for a moment.

"No, none at all," replied the raven-haired boy.

"It's my fault, isn't it? It's because of the way I k…" Ilya began, a downcast look in her eyes.

"No it's not," Severus cut her off quickly. "What happened was not your fault… It couldn't be helped."

"But…"

"Anyway," Severus cut her off again, to stop Ilya from starting to blame herself. "What did you do with the bodies?"

"Oh," replied Ilya, Severus thankful that she was somewhat distracted. "I burned them."

"Burned them?" asked Severus, keeping his voice conversational.

"Yes, burned them," replied the girl. "Everything, body and all. I wish I could've kept the wands or the Mystic Codes though, but that would be too risky…"

"I see," said Severus. It was a wise decision. Having to explain three more corpses, even Death Eaters, and even to Rufus Scrimgeour, who seemed to have taken a liken to him and Ilya, would be difficult. Eliminating the evidence would be the best choice. Still… "But what if someone else has seen…"

"Not likely, Sev," Ilya cut him off, apparently offended. "When the Boundary Field I placed detects a threat, it automatically creates an illusion, anyone who looks at the house or the yard will see it as normal. Whatever it is that is taking place will not be seen nor heard from outside of the yard. The illusion will remain until I deactivate it. If anyone tried to look, the yard will appear vacant, even if there are actually people on the yard choking from lack of air and getting impaled by floating swords… you're angry at me, aren't you, for doing something like this without your permission."

The white-haired girl was looking down guiltily. "I'm sor..."

"No, I'm not angry, and no, you don't have to apologize… I am just surprised about the things that you, that's all," said Severus honestly. "You have teach me more about this…Boundary Field, though, whatever it is."

"If that's what you want, Sev," replied the white-haired girl automatically.

Moments of silence passed between them. However, the air was lighter now, no longer constricting. Severus and Ilya simply ran out of things to say. Then…

A grumbling noise interrupted the silence. The source of the noise was apparently…

"Should we go and grab a bite?" asked Severus, a pink flush on his face.

"Yes, I believe that is a good idea," replied Ilya, also flushing. "Hunger is the enemy…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

First, I would like to thank all those people who gave their comments and suggestions, they were very helpful. I'm not sure if I've managed to sweep all the he-she pronoun gender mistakes I made. Hell, I'll probably me making more of those as I progress with my story (I hope not though.) Still, an edit is really crucial, if my errors may confuse readers and could get the completely wrong idea from the statement, I would really appreciate if you point it out. If the error, however is something that most readers can easily decipher what I'm trying to say, then I'm sorry about that. ^_^

Anyway, I really am busy, so the most I can promise is that I'll update the chapters at least once a week.

Later then…


	14. CHAPTER 12

**CHAPTER 12: SUMMER SNOW**

(Severus POV)

It was one o'clock in the afternoon. Ilya and Severus were currently eating lunch, eggs and sausages, a large loaf of bread. Still, the raven-haired boy couldn't believe their (his) luck.

For the entire summer, Severus Snape, in a tight financial situation, had been living off old biscuits and the three-months-from-expiration coffee in his house. The only time he ate a slight decent meal was the day before when he bought Ilya and herself some hamburger (which was actually a difficult choice on his part, considering how he needed to spend his money wisely).

While far from rich, and between being poor and average (In other words, not rich, but not poor either), Severus managed to handle all his financial problems. He managed to pay the taxes on his house, water and electricity bill, he even finished paying off all of his father's debts, and had enough to continue supporting himself for schooling, although he had to mostly settle for second-hand items.

This was due to the fact that he was smart and hardworking. It all started when Severus Snape entered his third year of schooling. At Hogwarts, his classmates (and even students from the lower and higher years, as well as students in the other Houses) would ask him to do their homework for them from time to time, especially in Potions (Severus' Potions skills was probably already at or beyond N.E.W.T level, as it was his favorite subject, and therefore studied on it far beyond the Hogwarts-required textbooks). The raven-haired man saw this as a good opportunity and thus started his little business, getting paid for doing their responsibility for them. One Galleon for essays, two Galleons for simple potions, four for more complex ones, and so on and so forth. The little sideline has greatly helped him.

Still, things had not been going so well in the past month. Summer vacation means no school, and no school means no work for him. While they were still loaded with homework for the break, the other students had enough time to do it themselves.

The summer before, while Severus mostly lived off cheap food, Lily would sometimes visit, bringing snacks with her, and the raven-haired boy would be occasionally invited to dine with the Evans. Now that Severus was no longer on good terms with her… well, he still managed to survive from the meager rations he could afford for himself.

After they finished their meal (the amount would have been enough for five people), Severus finally stated the question he had been wanting to ask the white-haired girl.

"I think a 'thank you' should be in order," said a white-haired girl cheerfully. "Now you don't have to eat those stale cookies all the time."

"How did you that?" the raven-haired boy inquired.

"Magic," replied the girl simply.

"I know that," said Severus in a slightly irritated tone, as he noticed that Ilya was smirking maliciously, apparently teasing him. "I mean what kind of magic did you use?"

Severus was both confused and amazed. The white-haired girl seemed to be able to fix so many things, his phonograph, his radioset, Ilya was even able to get vehicles up and running. The raven haired man could not do something like that even with the _reparo_ spell.

_Flashback_

_It was nine in the morning. Severus was starting to get annoyed as the white-haired girl began complaining about the biscuits and coffee again. He was just about to open his mouth when they heard someone calling._

_"Is anybody home?" a middle-aged man was yelling._

_Severus and Ilya stood. Despite her complains, the white-haired girl actually finished everything on her plate._

_The man and his wife, apparently, were just passing through when their car broke down near their house. The man asked if they could point him out to where the nearest telephone booth was located, so that they can call a mechanic._

_Ilya, however, approached the truck, and was staring at it._

_"Have you tried fixing it yourself?" the girl asked the middle-aged lady._

_"Yes,he has been on it for a while now, but nothing he tried seemed to work. Our truck is an old tin can after all, just like me and my husband._

_"No, I think you're both still young and good-looking actually, Madam," replied the girl smiling sweetly, the old lady returning it. "Anyway, can I borrow a wrench? I might be able to do something."_

_Ten minutes later, the man and his wife thanked the Severus and a coal-faced Ilya, who quickly wiped her face clean with a towel (the raven-haired boy feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed, as not only did he not help, he let a girl do all the work), as they were once again about to start on the road, the man commenting loudly that the engine feels like the way it did when they first bought the truck._

_Ilya did not accept the money that the couple offered to them in payment, saying that she was doing what anyone else would do, and advised that they still get a mechanic to check on the truck later (Severus was dismayed, but decided to keep quiet since the right to the decision belonged solely to the one who did the repairing)…_

_Then a loud rumbling sound was heard, and it was loud enough to be heard even the truck's engine running._

_"Haven't had breakfast yet dear?" the old lady asked._

_"Yes, but we only have some biscuits at the house so…" said the white-haired girl._

_"I understand," replied the middle-aged woman, a gentle pitying expression on her face. "You must have been starving then."_

_Before they left, the old couple left a box with them. In it were food products, enough for a week for two people._

_"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" The white haired shouted after the truck, and bowed, as Severus did the same, before the kind middle-aged couple was out of earshot…_

_End of Flashback_

"Reinforcement," replied the girl. "It's a way in which you repair or strengthen objects by channeling prana into them."

"Prana?"

"In terms you could understand, it's magical energy which naturally exists in nature. It's different to od, which is magical energy that exists within a magus' body."

"Od?" asked the raven-haired boy. Severus was confused. Apparently there was a lot of difference between the kind of magic he and the wizarding world as he knows it use to the kind of magic that Ilya utilizes. Apparently, the white-haired girl was thinking the same thing.

"Hmmm…" she mused. "It seems like your witchcraft and wizardry follow a different set of requirements and conditions to my magecraft. For one thing, a spellcaster who utilize your kind of magic is able to cast it without putting his life in danger."

"What do you mean?" asked Severus, who was indeed very curious.

"You see, Sev," began Ilya. "For me, to utilize magic, to walk the path of magus, means to walk with death constantly by your side."

"To walk with death constantly by your side?" asked Severus, who seemed slightly shaken.

"In simpler terms, if you use magic, there is a chance that you could die at any time," said the girl seriously. "It may due to various reasons. People persecuting you if your magic is discovered, other magi trying to kill you, but I've witnessed many cases when a magus' own magic is the cause of their own deaths. Using magic is already dangerous in itself."

Unbidden images went through Severus' mind. Ilya using her blood to fix his china and cabinet…using blood to draw a magic circle for a ritual of some sort…a lonely girl, freezing in a cold terrain…

"Merlin," gasped Severus, as he remembered the dream he had the night before.

"Merlin, you know Merlin?" asked the white-haired girl suddenly, bringing Severus back to reality. The girl's emerald eyes seemed to light up as she heard the name.

"Of course, every wizard knows Merlin," said Severus automatically. "After all, he was the greatest of all times, and he had great contribution in the formation of the British Wizarding Society, the Order of Merlin the Ministry hands out is also named after him."

"Order of Merlin?"

"It is a kind of award or ranking given to wizards who accomplished great things. Originally it supposedly referred to an organization Merlin set up that defended the rights of the non-magical community during the medieval times, but now..."

"Then that means you also know the legend of Arturia…I mean King Arthur?" the girl cut in.

Severus raised an eyebrow. He noticed that Ilya had called King Arthur 'Arturia', and the white-haired girl's tone seemed to suggest familiarity, as if Ilya knew him(her?) personally. _That's impossible though,_ thought Severus. _Anyway…_

"Merlin was a great and famous wizard," said Severus. "He is well known even in the Muggle world, although they only talk about him as if he were a myth. I know of the story of King Arthur as well, from fictional tales in both the magical and non-magical community. The Wizarding World, accepting the story as a good children's fairy tale, while it accepts Merlin as a founder and ancestor as a fact, probably consider Arthur as nothing more than fantasy, though I'm not so sure with the last part," Severus ended.

"I see," replied Ilya. Severus could see that the girl was deep in thought.

Moments of silence passed…

"Ilya," said Severus, finally, unable to bear with the uneasiness. "I have a suggestion. Although I am still just a student, and I'm probably far from being a high class wizard, I think I may be able to teach more about our magic… I can teach you about my kind of magic, and you can teach me about your magecraft? What do you think?"

"Sev, are you sure you want to?" asked Ilya, her voice serious. "The kind of magic we magi use, as I think I've already told you, is very dangerous. You might end up losing your life in the process."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," said Severus sincerely. "And besides, with you as my teacher, there is nothing for me to worry about."

The white-haired girl's face suddenly turned red.

"You don't know that," pouted the girl, still blushing, puffing her cheeks. "Besides, I've never taught anyone before…"

"It'll be fine," replied Severus, struggling to keep his voice calm. His face was also red, after seeing such a cute expression on Ilya's face. "So, do we have a deal then?" Severus held out a hand.

"Okay then, deal," said the white-haired girl as she accepted the hand and shook it, for formality's sake. "Just don't blame me if you end up losing a limb or two."

"Of course I won't," said Severus bluntly. "If you're my teacher, I'm sure I'm in safe hands. As for me though, I hope I don't end up boring you, and turn out to be a pathetic instructor…"

"Don't underestimate yourself," said Ilya, smiling. "After all, you did spend a lot of time teaching Lily Evans about magic, and you weren't a bad a teacher at all."

Severus froze.

"How did you know that?" he inquired.

"Oh, you told me about it last night, remember?" replied the white-haired girl quickly. "Besides, you two were childhood friends, she was, as you call it a Muggleborn, and you were the one who first introduced her to the world of magic."

"Oh, right, sorry, I forgot" stated the raven-haired boy, as he recalled himself crying as he poured out his frustrations. Severus flushed, feeling embarrassed, that he, a guy, actually ended up crying, not just in front of a girl, but on her chest at that. _Well, Ilya did the same to me first, so we're even,_ thought Severus. _But I'm a guy though...and she's…she's a girl…_

The raven-haired boy sighed.

"Anyway," said the white girl casually, yawning as she stretched out her arms. "I want to take a walk. It's always best to familiarize yourself with the place you're staying in. Would mind showing me around?"

"Sure, I'll show you around," said Severus, as Ilya took the arm the raven-haired boy offered her.

"This will be a lot of fun," the white-haired girl said happily.

Severus couldn't help but smile.

"Hmmm… Sev?"

Still… _After all, you did spend a lot of time teaching Lily Evans about magic, _Severus remembered what Ilya said just a few moments ago… _and you weren't a bad a teacher at all…_

"Sev?"

Severus felt slightly uneasy. There was something strange about it…something strange in Ilya's tone, the way she said it.

"Sev?"

It was true, Severus did tell Ilya that he was the one who told Lily that was a witch, was the one who introduced his former best friend to the world magic. Still, the way Ilya talked…

_It was as she herself had witnessed me teaching Lily magic,_ thought Severus. _But when I taught spells to Lily, we were always alone, and I only her when we were at Hogwarts. How…_

"HEY! SEV!"

"OUCH! THAT HURT" winced the raven-haired boy, as Ilya painfully pinched his cheek with her left arm, the right still clutched onto his, and it now felt like a crab's pincer. "Ilya, what did you do that fo…"

"YOU'RE MY GUIDE! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SHOW ME AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT YOU WERE SPACING OUT! YOU WERE IGNORING ME AGAIN!" the girl was shouting. Ilya was pulling a tantrum, just like a kid, and unfortunately for Severus, he was weak against this kind of attack.

"Waaa! Ouch! I'm sorry!" said Severus, panicking, as the girl started to pull hard on his left arm with remarkable strength, that the raven-haired boy became afraid that it might get dislocated. "I'll make it up to you somehow!"

Severus was thinking as fast as he could, as he could see that the girl was filling her lungs with air again. "I know, since it's summer, I'll buy you some ice cream to make up for my behavior…alright?" added Severus hopefully.

"You'll buy me some ice cream," asked Ilya, her irritation can still be heard clearly in her voice.

"Sure I will, as many as you like," replied Severus.

A moment passed. Then…

"Sure, okay," replied the white-haired girl in a cheerful, as she started dragging Severus, apparently completing forgetting how angry she was just a couple of seconds before.

_Merlin, that was a close one,_ thought the raven-haired man to himself. _I don't think my eardrums could have survived another beating._

Severus let out a deep sigh. _Women and their mood swings…one moment they're like a Chinese Fireball about to burn you alive and the next they appear so innocent and carefree like a fairy…why are they so unpredictable?_

_Ilya…how she knew about me teaching Lily magic, I'll just try and find out later…_

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

Severus spent the rest of the afternoon showing Ilya around the neighborhood. He pointed at the houses and told the white-haired girl who lived there. He showed her the different stores in the neighborhood, the wet market, the jewelry shop (Severus told Ilya he'd rather not enter the shop, since his father once attempted to steal some of the man's jewelry, and was probably on bad terms with them, although Severus wished he had pressed the charges then.), the clothes boutique, and the ice cream parlor, where Severus (as promised) bought Ilya the largest size chocolate sundae (_I really don't like spending too much, but it can't be helped,_ sighed Severus inwardly. At least she's happy.), while he bought himself a cheap vanilla ice cream in a cone.

Severus then continued 'tour-guiding' Ilya about the area where he lived, passing by Lily Evan's house, (Severus felt a wave of sadness as he remembered the lake incident) along the way.

In all the places they visited, there were people staring at him and Ilya. Severus guessed that they were probably mistaking her for Lily, and for once the raven-haired boy was thankful that he was normally unsociable and unapproachable, as they stared but remained silent on the issue. (If Severus had appeared friendly to them, he and Ilya would have already been hassled with many things, like calling the girl Lily, asking her why she changed her hair color, was she Lily's sister? relative, etc.).

After Severus had finished showing the white-haired girl around, he thought it would be better to take a rest in the park first before heading home.

_Why does she have a lot of stamina?_ thought Severus. He was sweating, breathing heavily, while the white-haired girl appeared fine and still full of energy, Ilya balancing herself on a beam, humming merrily, as Severus sat down on a swing to rest.

The raven-haired young man check his watch. It was already four o'clock. It would be best to head back soon.

Severus watched the white-haired girl as she skipped to and fro in the center of the park.

"Ilya?" said the raven-haired young man.

"Hmmm?" replied the girl.

"Your eyes, were your eyes always like that?" inquired Severus.

"What do mean?" wondered the white-haired girl.

"Did you change the color of your eyes, with magic perhaps?" continued the raven-haired boy, unable to stop himself.

"Why do you ask?" asked Ilya, her voice still thankfully cheerful and friendly.

"No particular reason." replied the raven-haired boy.

"Okay, then." said the white-haired girl. She was not angry. Her voice still sounded happy, but it had a finality to its tone. She did not want to talk about the issue.

Severus decided to drop the subject, as he started to focus his eyes on the ground. He was thankful that Ilya did not seem offended by him raising the issue, but it seemed that she did not want to talk about it either. Ilya neither affirmed nor denied the raven-haired boy's query.

Still, it only strengthened the raven-hair's suspicion.

_She evaded the question,_ thought Severus. _And that was almost as good as saying yes._

_She did not want to talk about it, _the raven-haired young man continued with his reverie. _Something must have happened. Was it caused by magic? Was it caused by trauma?_

Severus suddenly felt a chill, as he remembered the dream. The frozen forest… the white-haired girl rolling around, kicking in pain…

"IT'S SNOWING!" the white haired girl suddenly.

_Snowing? In summer?_ thought Severus incredulously, but then a white flake dropped on his shoulder.

Severus froze. The snow-filled hell… The raven-haired boy looked up and quickly scanned around for Ilya, remembering the dream, frightened that the white-haired girl might be going into shock.

Instead, it was Severus who was shocked. He looked up to see Ilya, her silvery-white hair almost blending perfectly with the snow, twirling about , as she sung the song she was singing on the night Severus first met her, her voice apparently with a mixture of joy and sorrow:

1. Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten,  
Daß ich so traurig bin,  
Ein Märchen aus uralten Zeiten,  
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn.  
Die Luft ist kühl und es dunkelt,  
Und ruhig fließt der Rhein;  
Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt,  
Im Abendsonnenschein.

2. Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet  
Dort oben wunderbar,  
Ihr gold'nes Geschmeide blitzet,  
Sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar,  
Sie kämmt es mit goldenem Kamme,  
Und singt ein Lied dabei;  
Das hat eine wundersame,  
Gewalt'ge Melodei.

3. Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe,  
Ergreift es mit wildem Weh;  
Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe,  
Er schaut nur hinauf in die Höh'.  
Ich glaube, die Wellen verschlingen  
Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn,  
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen,  
Die Loreley getan.

(_Heinrich Heine, 1822 (1799-1856)_)

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"You seem to like snow," said Severus to the white-haired girl, after she finished singing. The white-haired girl was now sitting beside him, swinging her legs to and fro, as the snow continued to fall.

"In a way I do, in a way I don't," replied the girl absentmindedly.

"What do you mean in a way you like it, and in a way you don't?" Severus couldn't help but inquire.

"I don't like snow, I hate it because it's cold, I really hate the cold," said Ilya, the note of whose voice carried some bitterness in it, and Severus noticed it, even though the girl tried to hide it. "But I also love it in a way, because it reminds me of my mother's hair."

"Your mother's hair?"

"Yes, my mother's hair," said the girl. "I like snow because it reminds me of my mom. My hair is like that too, almost white as snow, though it's a bit different now… ah… I hope I'm not boring you Sev, talking about something silly like this."

"No, it's fine," the raven-haired man replied. "Anyway, I think we should head home now."

"Okay, then," replied Ilya.

As they left the park, the snow finally stopped. It was the third of August, it was late summer, and for snow to fall was highly unlikely.

Still, even though the snow has finally stopped falling, Severus' mind was still focused on a cold winter, on the vision that he saw.

_Ilya's hair..they do seem to a bit darker now...not that there's much of a difference...they still look so much like snow...but her eyes...they have the same shape as before as well, but they were like rubies in the past...winter...snow...loving and hating it at the same time..._ The raven-haired young man was deep in thought…

-**BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

It has been two weeks since Ilya first met Sev. The white-haired girl was currently on a swing in the park, as she waited for Sev to return from his jog.

"You know… it's rude to spy on people," said Ilya suddenly in a cold voice, as she jumped up from the swing and turned around to face a tree. "Come out, I know you're there. I know you've been watching us for a while now."

A person appeared from behind a tree, realizing it was useless to keep on hiding. She started walking towards Ilya, her dark red hair slightly flowing in the breeze, until she was about two meters from the white-haired girl.

It was as if time stopped, as a pair of emerald eyes stared into another pair of emerald eyes, each a mirror-image of the other…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

I guess I better add this part for now. I got the conversations a bit mixed up. You see, my intention was for there to be a story behind the change in Ilya's eye and hair color. Yes, if you read the Fate Stay Night Visual Novel you will notice from the drawings that her hair was really silvery white. My intention was to make a plot wherein Ilya's hair, while still almost the same as before, becomes a bit darker and silvery and less white (And it upsets her somewhat since it makes it more distant to her mother, perhaps...blablabla). However, as I cannot back this with an actual image of the present Ilya (I'm not that good at drawing, I admit, and most people will hardly be able to tell the difference between silvery-white and darker silvery-white, so the plot relevance goes down the drain.), I decided to drop the hair color change issue since it might get confusing, both for the readers and for me, the author as well (As well as the fact that there is hardly any significant difference.). ^_^

Anyway advanced Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year people. Hope you enjoyed this chapter... ^_^


	15. CHAPTER 13

**SPECIAL CHAPTER**

**CHAPTER 13: CARNIVAL**

Note: This is my first attempt at making light short stories. All of these, of course, are part of the main storyline. Chapter 13 is divided into four segments, each a story on its own.

These occurred prior to the last scene shown in CHAPTER 12. Hope you enjoy… ^_^

For Lily Evans haters, i would recommend that you read **Story 4: Dress **first. ^_^

Now, on with the show. ^_^

* * *

**STORY 1: MAGUS TRAINING**

Spinner's End August 4, 1976

(Severus POV)

"198…199…200" Severus gasped as he fell down the ground, lying with his face facing the sky.

"Good, you can take a break for now," said the white haired-girl, as she folded her copy of the Daily Prophet. They were currently outside on the yard, under the sun, as Ilya made the boy perform some body-building exercises.

Severus and Ilya had been keeping themselves up to date with the times by subscribing to the Daily Prophet (The white-hair applied for subscription without first consulting Severus. Problem was, there was no arguing against the girl's logic, and the raven-hair was afraid that she might start a tantrum again if he wasn't careful.). From the news posted on the paper, it appears the Scrimgeour has kept his promise.

They never actually made the man swear an Unbreakable Vow, as Ilya decided not to, to show that they trusted the Auror. Ilya and Severus told Rufus about the events in Diagon Alley and the Evans residence, how Ilya held off the Death Eaters long enough for Severus to launch an ambush strike, but managed to evade an explanation of Ilya's magic or where she was from (Even Severus did not yet know all the details, as he did not want to be the one to end up making the girl recall painful memories by inconsiderately asking.), by saying it was complicated and would take too long. Still, the Auror seemed satisfied with the information they shared.

The report stated that seven Death Eaters were caught during two skirmishes of the Ministry and the Dark Lord's supporters, two of whom are still in critical condition and confined at St. Mungus Hospital for medical treatment (Severus felt a chill at this, as he realized that his Bombarda Maxima spell must have caused it, though remembering the circumstances, it can't be helped.).

That was all that was in the news, however, and the raven-haired boy was thankful that Rufus kept his word and prevented any information about them to leak out, specially to the press. And seeing as the Ministry was now on high alert and more active in their campaign against Voldemort, he and his followers would probably be too busy on other things aside from eliminating a couple of underage wizards, a bit talented though they might appear to be.

These things, however, were all but trivial to Severus at the moment, given his current predicament.

True to her word on the deal they made, Ilya has begun teaching Severus about magecraft and the way of the magi. Unfortunately for the raven-haired boy…

"Do…I…really…have…to…do this?" he asked the white-haired girl, panting. "It...it...really...necessary?"

"Oh, yes. Keeping the body fit is a basic requirement for any magus," replied Ilya conversationally. "You need to have a well-thought-of schedule which allows you to have sufficient amount of exercise. You also need to have a healthy diet, well-balanced meal which consists of members of the different food groups. As for you Sev, it appears that you have not yet fulfilled that requirement, which is why I'm taking charge of your daily schedule and routine."

"Well, I don't see you doing any exercise," shot the raven-haired boy to the white-haired girl, who was just standing and observing him.

"For you're information, Sev, the physical exercise I'm doing is actually much more difficult than just a bit jogging and a few stretches," replied the girl.

"Oh, and are you doing it right now, Ilya?"

"Yes I am, Sev."

"You mean standing?" asked Severus sarcastically, slight irritation noticeable in his tone.

A moment of silence passed.

"Sev, stand up," said Ilya, her voice commanding but calm, without even the hint of anger.

Severus got up, thinking that he got his point out.

"Now, take four steps forward, until you are standing right in front of me."

"What?" asked Severus incredulously. _Is Ilya teasing me? Is she making fun of me, asking silly requests? _thought the raven-haired boy to himself.

"Why should I..?" began the raven-haired boy.

"Just do it," Ilya cut him off, her voice remaining devoid of emotion.

Reluctantly Severus agreed. _What? Now that's strange... She should have been shouting at me by now._

"Alright, alright," said Severus, "but I don't really see the point of do…waaaht…?"

As he was about to take another step forward, Severus suddenly fell to his knees, as he felt as if something like a boulder was placed on his back.

"What is this?" he panted, trying to get up, but found that he could not, something invisible was pressing down on him.

"Do you understand now?" asked Ilya. The white-haired girl was now standing immediately in front of him.

Severus merely nodded, too tired and surprised to speak, as he felt the pressure on him lessen.

"This is one reason why you should keep yourself fit," the girl began in her monotone. "Your body should be in good physical condition, so you can react accordingly to unexpected problems you might have to end up facing, like the air suddenly becoming dense and heavy. If those three Death Eater who entered the house two nights ago were in tip-top-shape physically, they might have been able to evade the defenses I made on short notice and flee."

Severus gasped.

_So this is one of the spells included in the…what is it again? Boundary Field she created?_ thought the raven-haired boy.

"Anyway," said Ilya, her voice still surprisingly blank, "It's already eight in the morning. It is time to eat breakfast. I should remind you, though, that this afternoon you will have to jog three times around the areas I've indicated."

Severus was lost for words. He had no objection. Every point Ilya made was solid, everything she asked him to do was undoubtedly with good reason. The white-haired girl did not tell him directly, but she must have been standing in the heavy air all this time, not to mention walking to and fro as she read the newspaper, when Severus could not even stand up.

When they started eating breakfast, though, Ilya was back to her cheerful self.

_I guess that must have been Ilya's 'Professor Emiya Persona '_ thought Severus. _Just like martial law, military training…still that side to her is also kind of cute…_

An unbidden image suddenly appeared in Severus mind, in which Ilya was wearing a revealing black gown (Tobias had a stash of not-so-decent Muggle magazines after all, and Severus had read them before), wand in one hand and a black whip in the other, wearing fitting eyeglasses to boot…

"Sev, are you alright?" inquired the white-haired girl, concern obvious in her voice. "Your nose is bleeding…"

"Um, yes I'll be alright," replied Severus quickly. "I'll just go and get a towel to wipe it off."

As Severus left the dining table, he heard Ilya talking.

"Maybe I shouldn't have pushed him so hard at the beginning," the girl was talking to herself, guilt in her voice. "I guess I'll tone down his exercises for now. I'll just gradually increase it as he improves…"

_What in Merlin's name is wrong with me?_ thought Severus to himself, as he wiped the blood from his nose.

The white-haired girl had no idea that the raven-haired boy's bleeding had nothing to do with her training regime.

* * *

**STORY TWO: REPAIRWOMAN**

August 5, 1976

(Ilya POV)

It was four o'clock in the afternoon. While Severus doing running exercises, following the training menu Ilya instructed him to do, the white-haired girl was taking a walk around the neighborhood.

_He's been acting weird though,_ the white-haired girl was musing to herself_. Yesterday he was complaining about a lot about the training regime I placed on him, but this morning, he was already panting and his face was red before we could even begin…Sev's breathing started getting heavy the moment he looked me straight in the face…could it be because of the magazine I found under the sofa this morning? That was about a female teacher whip…oh…_thought Ilya, blushing as she pondered on her newly-found theory.

_Well, Sev's a guy after all, although he's not the type to do anything indecent to a girl. Still, I hope it does not hinder his progress,_ thought Ilya seriously.

As far as Ilya can tell, they were bound to end up facing against this Voldemort and his minions again in the future. After all the problems they've cause the so-called Dark Lord, it was unlikely that he would let them go. The only reason Ilya could see why they were not yet attacked was because the Death Eaters were too busy dealing with other matters. Having seven of their ranks captured, there was no doubt that Rufus and his Auror pals were taking as much information as they can from the Dark Lord's servants, so Voldemort is forced to keep a low profile for the time being…

"HEY, WATCH OUT!"

Having been deep in thought, Ilya's conscious mind did not notice that she was about to get runover by a car. However, due to all her training, her reflexes reacted and was able to dodge the vehicle just in time, out of harm's way.

The car stopped. Then, it's two passengers (a balding man with a moustache, and a blonde-haired woman, apparently husband and wife, around their thirties, by the look of it (Poor _guy, growing bald at such a young age,_ thought Ilya.) quickly got out to check on their almost-victim.

"You all right there, Lily?" inquired the man.

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks for worrying" replied Ilya sweetly. "My name isn't Lily though."

"What?" asked the man, surprised. "But aren't you Lily Evans?"

"But you look exactly like her," added the kind-faced woman. "What is your name, dear?"

"My name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, but you can call me Ilya for short," said the white-haired girl. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Ilya," said the man. "My name is John Brown, just call me John, and this is my wife Mary. Anyway, I'm really sorry I almost ran you over."

"No, it's okay, Mr. John, it's my fault for not looking where I was going," replied Ilya sweetly.

"You look exactly like. Except for your hair… oh my you even have the same eyes, even your voice sound just like Lily's dear," said the blonde-haired woman. "Are you perhaps her relative?"

"Ummm… who is Lily?" replied Ilya, trying to sound confused. "I'm kind of new in the neighborhood you see, and I've noticed some people staring at me, it was kind of scary…"

"Well, I'm sorry if they frightened you, child," said the balding man. "The people here are mostly nice and friendly. But you bear such an uncanny resemblance to Lily Evans…that's probably why they were staring at you…when you meet her, you'll know what I mean."

"I see," replied the girl. "Anyway, Mr. John what is that?" Ilya pointed at the television set that was strapped on top of the car.

"Oh," said John. "It's our old television set. The repairman said it was beyond repair so we're throwing it out…it's a pity though…"

"You seem rather attached to it, sir?" said Ilya.

"Yes, dear, well, it was our first TV set after all." Mary was the one who replied. We've had it for six years, ever since we were married, and we feel sad to have to throw it away…it brings back…a lot of happy memories."

Ilya felt sorry for the married couple. Fortunately, she knew just what to do.

"Ummm..Mr. John, Mrs. Mary, would you mind if I take a quick look at it?"

"Sure, kid, though I doubt there is anything we can do, if even the TV man can't fix it…

Thirty minutes later…

"And that goat wanted us to sell it to a junk shop," John was saying, sounding half-irritated and half-pleased.

They were currently inside a restaurant, as the television was working well, as if it were new. (They needed a place where they can connect to electricity, after all.)

"It should be fine for at least two or three more years," said Ilya. "If ever it stops working again, you can always come to me. I'm just around the neighborhood."

"Thank you so much, dear," said Mary.

"For someone your age you're pretty handed with electronics, and a girl at that," praised John. "I thought the boys were the ones into hard gear…How did you do it?"

"Oh, it was nothing really," replied Ilya. "It was just a slightly loose wire, so all I had to do was put in back in place." In truth, the wires were already burnt and the tube was in bad shape. Ilya used magecraft, but she wasn't about to tell them that.

"I knew that crafty bastard was trying to trick us," snarled John. "And we even paid him for all his troubles…tch!"

"Now, now, dear," said Mary, addressing her husband. "Please don't say such rude things in front of a young lady. It all worked out fine after all."

"Oh, right, sorry about that," replied John to his wife sheepishly. "Anyway, Ilya, what other things are you able to fix?" the balding man continued.

"Well, as long as it's still possible," said the girl. "Radios, refrigerators…two days ago I repaired the engine of a truck that a kind old couple were driving…"

"You can also fix truck engines?" said the balding man, apparently amazed. "You know, you could actually start a business doing repairs, perhaps as a sideline…"

Silence passed for bit, as Mary and John sipped on their coffee (Ilya ordered a chocolate sundae.).

"Well, I'll be going now," said Ilya to the couple, as she finished her ice cream. "It's been a pleasure meeting you…"

Ilya bowed, and was about to turn and leave, when the blonde lady gently caught hold of her hand.

Then the bald man took out his wallet, and handed Ilya two one hundred pounds bill.

"Here, for your trouble."

"But this is too much…No, it's alright sir, I couldn't possibly take that," replied Ilya, blushing slightly at the kindness of the couple.

"I'm sorry, Ilya dear, but we will not take no for an answer," smiled Mary.

Sighing inwardly, half-embarassment, half-joy, Ilya did the only right thing that was possible, accepting what was given and saying…

"Thank you..."

It was almost five-thirty in the afternoon. Ilya returned to the park where she found the raven-haired boy waiting for her.

"Where were you?" Sev asked her, looking worried. "You said we'd meet back at here at five."

"Oh, sorry about that…I did not notice the time…"

_A sideline fixing things, huh? _thought Ilya. _Well, considering mine and Sev's financial situation…it might not be such a bad idea…_

Ilya hummed to herself, recalling that her brother did the same thing for people at his school and at his neighborhood, although he did not ask for anything in return. Still, he did accept what he was given. And besides…

_The technology of the time and world I'm in may be a bit outdated, but the circuitry and the mechanics they follow are essentially the same, and with a little analysis…_ thought Ilya to herself. Fixing things was easy for her. _If I do it right, desperate times may not need desperate measures after all._

…

And so Ilya started her little business. And in a span of a few days, she managed to earn, not only money, but the trust and respect, and admiration of her neighbors. (Although it annoyed her that they kept mistaking her for Lily Evans the first time.). The best part was that Ilya never asked anything in return. She did everything for free, and simply waited for whatever they would give her.

As far as Ilya was concerned, what she received was far more than what she would have gotten if she set a price (Ilya was pretty good with calculating, and she adopted pretty quickly to the currency and prices of items.). She helped people without asking for anything in return, and whatever people gave her was voluntary, in other forms aside from money, although most of them gave her money (Normally almost twice the value the service was supposed to be at, according to Ilya's calculations.).

Ilya was kind, friendly, and helpful, just as her brother was, and they loved her for it.

_It really is so much fun, helping people that is._

* * *

**STORY 3: WAND**

August 8, 1976

(Severus POV)

Severus had started teaching Ilya the basics of magic as he knows it. The white-haired girl listened to him intently, and he made sure he kept his instructions as detailed as possible. He also let her borrow his old school books from first year to fifth year, and the girl read them intently.

Still, Severus thought that there was something missing, and that thing was…

"A wand? But I don't need one," ilya told him.

At first Ilya was against the idea, saying that it was too expensive. The white-haired girl even cast _wingardium leviosa_ on a chair with nothing but her hands to prove her point.

"How did you do that?" asked Severus, who was both impressed and shaken.

"I told I don't need one," replied the white-haired girl, smiling gently."You don't have to buy me one."

_I had only been instructing the girl on the ways of our magic for barely three days, and she can already perform basic spells,_ thought Severus, shuddering slightly_. Still, after all she's done for me, there's no way I won't buy her on…wait… if I use this kind of logic on her, she'll definitely refuse… and besides, the wand chooses the wizard so she has to be the one to pick it up herself, I can't just buy any random wand…think, Severus, think…_

"No, I still think you need one Ilya," said Severus seriously. "And not because you need it to use magic?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if you use magic wandless, you would stand out," Severus began. "While it is true that the Ministry cannot detect your wandless magic (Severus noticed his own tone was slightly bitter, as he was unable to use magic because of the Trace), it is better if it at least appeared that you were using a wand, so you could blend in."

"That is a good point," the white-haired girl agreed.

Twenty minutes later, Severus and Ilya were inside Ollivander's shop (Because they travelled via floo network this time).

The shop seemed empty, the same as the first time Severus entered it.

"You know," Severus heard Ilya say suddenly, causing him to jump. "It's bad manners to sneak up on people from behind, especially on potential customers."

"Quite the perceptive one, aren't you child?" The short old man now appeared behind them. Apparently he had been using a type of Invisibility Spell, as he appeared suddenly. _(It's not Disillusionment though, he was completely Invisible, how did Ilya know he was there?_ thought Severus to himself.)

"Mr. Ollivander, I presume?" Ilya inquired.

"I am," said the old man. "And you are?"

"Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya."

The old man paused for a bit, as he did when Severus first came to his shop as well.

"And you are Severus Snape," said the old man suddenly. "I already know who you are, so no more need for further introductions."

The raven-haired boy merely nodded.

"Yes, now I would assume that you are here to buy a new wand," said Mr. Ollivander. "I've always said that other wand makers do produce them in quantity rather than quality… though of course who am I to judge."

Severus guessed that Mr. Ollivander thought that Ilya had either broken her old wand or wasn't satisfied with it (She never had one, but Ollivander wasn't to know that.)

"So where is your old wand?" Mr. Ollivander inquired of Ilya. "Did the maker tell you what type of core it possessed?"

Severus was nervous. He was about to talk and send things in the right direction when…

"My old wand was destroyed when I tried to use a complicated Charms spell," the white-haired girl began. "And no, I did not know what its core was made from."

Severus sighed with relief. She really is amazing…

Then, Mr. Ollivander began with his usual rants about the wand choosing the wizard, and the story of some of the wands he sold, including Severus' own. The raven-haired man could tell that Ilya was getting irritated, but she did her best to hide it, behind her smiling face. All they could do was wait for the old man to finish talking.

"So now, I suppose I should take your measurements. Please hold out your wand arm."

Measuring tapes appeared out of thin air, and Mr. Ollivander was just about to measure Ilya's arm when…

"I feel someone calling me," said the white-haired girl.

"What?" said Severus and Mr. Ollivander together.

They watched together as Ilya began to approach the pile of boxes which Severus knew contained wands.

Suddenly, one of the boxes burst into flames as Mr. Ollivander quickly put the others away to avoid them catching fire.

But Severus was looking at something else.

Floating in right in front of Ilya, glowing, pulsating, was undoubtedly a wand, the wand which burned its magically protected and sealed container.

The white-haired girl then stretched out her arm, and the glowing stick shot towards her hand. There, it stayed floating by her palm, as if waiting to be held.

When Ilya close her palm around it, the wand stopped pulsating, as if finally comfortable of where it was.

Mr. Ollivander, while his face almost appeared blank, was undoubtedly surprised: His eyebrows were slightly raised, and his eyes were slightly glowing.

"Ah, now, in all my long life, this is the first time I've witnessed something like this." the wandmaker's voice was monotonous, but it was noticeable that it was slightly off from his normal tone.

"It was calling me," said the white-haired girl, as she twirled the wand in her fingers. Then, she brought it down, and a jet of white and orange sparks flew from it.

"That particular wand," began Mr. Ollivander. "Holly, eleven inches, its core is a phoenix feather, and you said it was calling you, child?"

Severus stared at the white haired girl.

"Yes, it was," said the white haired girl, and she was looking at the wand in her hand intently, as if there was something so familiar about it.

"Holly…life…phoenix…reincarnation…the Third of the Five True Sorceries…Heaven's Feel…how strange…" Ilya was muttering to herself.

Severus was confused. He could not understand what the girl was saying, as she back and forth absentmindedly, twirling the wand between her fingers. Then, Severus heard the wandmaker was also muttering to himself.

"Curious…curious…very curious…" Mr. Ollivander was saying to himself.

"I'm sorry, but what's so curious?" Severus asked the old wandmaker.

"I remember every wand I ever sold, Mr. Snape," said Mr. Ollivander. "Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix, whose tail feather is in that girl's wand, gave another feather—just one other. That child's destiny is a curious one indeed, when her wand's brother, is the very wand that is the one in the hands of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"What?" Severus swallowed. The raven-haired boy was so shocked that he wasn't even able to shout aloud.

"A wand made of yew. Thirteen and a half inches. Powerful wand, very powerful indeed, and it is wielded by none other than the Dark Lord…"

Ten minutes later, Severus and Ilya were standing outside of Mr. Ollivander's shop, formally saying their goodbyes to the old man.

"I guess we should be expecting great things from you then, Ms. Emiya," said Mr. Ollivander, as the raven-haired boy and the white-haired girl bid him goodbye. (Severus had already paid him Seven Galleons)

"You know, Ilya, I think we should get you another wand," said Severus, in a fake joking voice.

"No, I think I'll be fine with this one," replied the girl cheerfully. "The wand chooses the wizard after all, and I think I now know what that means."

"What does it mean then?" inquired Severus.

"You see, Sev," the girl began, and Severus noticed that her tone stated that Ilya was in 'Professor Emiya' mode. "These wands are very similar to magic circuits. For some reason which I still could not comprehend, a wand seems to act like a magic circuit which allows magic to be used by a wizard without putting any strain on the spell caster. When I use the spells I've learned from you, like the levitation spell wingardium leviosa, I had to activate one of the magic circuits in my body to channel prana. The wand, however, allows a wielder to channel prana from the surroundings directly to the core of the wand, thereby ensuring that the user is not in danger. Of course, if you overload the wand's core, it could still break, but at least it's not a part of your body."

"I see," replied Severus, who was only half-listening.

"Anyway, what were you talking about with that old man, Sev?" the girl inquired.

"Oh, nothing…"replied Severus. "Anyway, do you want to get some ice cream at Florean Fortescue's"

"You just spent Seven Galleons," said the girl. "Are you sure you can aff..."

"Sure I can," the raven-haired man retorted. "Anyway, do you want to or not? If not then…"

"Of course I want to, I'd love to," replied Ilya, looking cheerful as ever, at the thought of the cold delight she was about to devour.

Severus, however, was uneasy, as he retreated to his thoughts, pondering on the things he learned about.

_Things just keep getting more and more complicated, _sighed the raven-haired young man inwardly, as he thought about what Ilya was saying absentmindedly, but it was what the old wandmaker said that was worrying him the most.

_If the Dark Lord discovers something like this…no… I have to get stronger, and fast…so that I don't have to worry all the time…so that I can fight by her side…so that I can help and protect her…_

* * *

**STORY 4: DRESS**

August 12, 1976

(Ilya POV)

Ilya was currently inside a clothes shop. She has been looking for something suitable to wear.

When she first arrived from her world, Ilya was wearing wearing the standard school uniform at her school, minus the tie and the vest (Meaning she was wearing a white blouse and a moderate length dark gray skirt). While the clothes Severus' mother used to wear looked good, the skirt was too long, and thus hinders her mobility. So today, she was looking for clothes that would both look good and allow movement more freely at the same time (_Besides, it's hot, it's best to wear something a bit loose,_ thought Ilya.).

Luckily for her, the shop had exactly what she was looking for. There were plenty of skirts that were not too long but not revealing, modest but flexible. There were also blouse that fit her perfectly. Having made some money from her little repair business, Ilya bought eight sets in all (In other words, everything in the shop that fit her size and taste, including undergarments, one for each day, one spare.), and hummed happily as Janet, female shop manager (who was also the owner), who Ilya was on first name terms with, gave her a 50% discount on all items, and even gave her one set for free. She also bought two pairs of sneakers, ideal for running and jumping, and two pairs of sandals.

After all, Ilya was the one who fixed the shop's air conditioning system for free, for which the shop owner and the three female staff(who Ilya was also on first name terms with) were grateful (It was really hot since it was summer, and poor cooling would not only possibly drive off customers, but it was a great incovenience to the three shop employees and the owner as well, making them uncomfortable).

As Ilya was about to turn and leave the shop, she heard a girl with a familiar voice talking to the shop manager. The girl, who Ilya now noticed had dark red hair was complaining.

"I'm really sorry Ms. Evans," said the shop manager gently. "But someone already bought them."

"But how can that be?" the girl, whose voice was identical to Ilya's, was saying in disbelief. "They were still there just two days ago. Besides, there isn't anyone in the neighborhood who is the same size as I am. "

"Perhaps you should have bought them earlier, after all they've been in display for a month," Janet replied to the girl, her voice ever kind and accommodating. "I will be sure to inform you when new clothes suited for you arrive."

Ilya couldn't help but smirk. She managed to buy the clothes just in time.

_Well, I suppose I can just leave now, _mused the girl to herself. _But…I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some fun first…_

"Um…excuse me, Madam Janet?" said a white-haired girl to the shop manager innocently. Ilya, by a random swing in mood, was already wearing one of the set of clothes she bought.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they will available in… oh, yes, Ilya, dear?"

The shop suddenly grew quiet. At the time, there were eight people in the shop. The shop manager, the three sales ladies, a mother and her child, probably around eight years old, and…

The red-haired girl and the white-haired, who looked exactly like each other, except the hair color and skin complexion, even the eyes were identical.

Emerald eyes stared into a pair of emerald eyes, each a mirror image of the other, for a moment that felt like hours. The pair that the red haired girl wore widened.

"Um…about the blouse you were talking about," said Ilya, as she turned to face Janet, completely disregarding the stares they were receiving. "The red one with the black cross embroidery design, when will it be arriving?"

"Oh, it is already on a shipping vessel," replied Janet. "It will arrive in one week, along with our other dress and clothing-related products."

"I see…" said Ilya, and then paused for a moment, pretending to think for a bit. "Then…um…can I have those clothes which are my size be put in reserve?"

"Sure thing, Ilya dear," replied Janet.

"Just to be sure though, I promise to come back in a week then," said Ilya sweetly, smiling widely.

"Oh, there's no need for you to rush," said the female shop owner. "You can come back anytime you want. I won't be putting them on display so there's no need for you to hurry."

"Thank you very much," replied Ilya sweetly, her smile wider than ever. "I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Ilya," replied the shop owner.

"I'll be taking my leave, then," said Ilya, as she bowed to Madam Janet, turned around and headed for the shop's glass door…

But not without taking one long glance at the red-haired girl with emerald eyes [who stood almost frozen, with only her eyes moving (as Ilya noticed), following the white-haired girl until she went out of the shop,], in satisfaction.

_I think I got a bit too carried away, _thought Ilya to herself, but she couldn't suppress the grin that was playing on her lips…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Hello there, people. This one I guess is a story divided into four stories. It depicts some key points and events (as well some tense, and hopefully, comic enough moments) in the time-skipped zone before the cliffhanger.

Hope you enjoy. For Lily Evans haters, though, I would recommend reading **Story 4: Dress** first.


	16. CHAPTER 14

**CHAPTER 14: THE MEANING OF FRIENDSHIP**

Monologue

(Lily POV)

Ever since that night on August the second, Lily Evan's mind has been in mess. So many things had happened, so many things that made her so confused, that it seemed to be turning her world upside-down and back up again, then back down again, then back up gain, her thoughts going around in circles, having no specific direction.

That night, on her father's 50th birthday, Death Eaters visited their house, with the intention of killing her and her family. There was nothing they could do, Lily knew they were outnumbered, and even just two or three of those Dark Wizards would have been enough to take down five inexperienced underage wizards and two Muggles.

Lily knew it was hopeless. She knew there was no way out of it. It was over. They were going to die. The Death Eaters fired their Killing Curses, there was no way out, there was no escape…

_"RHO AIUS!"_

_"GET BEHIND IT, ALL OF YOU!"_

Then something shocking, something unexpected, something that was even more nerve-racking than the fear of Death itself happened.

_"Hmmm... You've wasted all that magic, yet you can't even penetrate a single layer of the Aius. How disappointing…"_

A mysterious girl appeared before Lily and her friends, and not just any girl…this girl, who introduced herself as Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya…

_She looks just like me…her hair isn't the same color as mine but…her face is just like mine…her voice is just like mine…even her eyes are exactly like mine… _Lily was locked in her thoughts.

The girl then engaged the Dark Lord's servants. A part of Lily was telling her that she should help, that she should not let anyone fight You-Know-Who's people alone…

But she couldn't. She couldn't move. She was frozen, gripped by her emotions, more confusion than fear, all the red-haired girl could do was watch…

_"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"_

Then another shocking event was thrust into Lily's already confused mind. The raven-haired boy, her former friend, the one who was a lover of the Dark Arts, the one who was a follower of You-Know-Who, the one who was taking the path of evil…the one who betrayed her for his ambition to become a Death Eater…her former best friend who she had been friends with until just a few weeks ago…

The raven-haired boy Severus Snape, Sev, who Lily thought was treading the path of Darkness, appeared, and fired a devastating spell at their attackers, as he caught the white-haired girl who looked so much the red-haired girl, the scene so much like in one of those romantic novels Lily had read…

_Sev…that voice a while ago was him, wasn't it? What is he doing here? That explosive spell? Dark Arts? I knew it…Then why…Why did he use on You-Know-Who's followers? Weren't they his friends? Weren't they his allies? Why does it not seem that way? Wasn't he supposed to be the one who lead them here in the first place…then why does it seem like he's protecting us? No…why is he protecting us?_

_And that girl…_

_Just who is she? Why does she look like me? Why is her face just like mine? Why is her voice just like mine? Why is it that even her eyes are just like mine?_

_She looks like me. She sounds like. But she isn't me._

_And Sev…What is his relationship with her? Is she an acquaintance? A lover? An old friend?_

_The black wandless spells she was using… that was Dark Magic, wasn't it?… so she's also a Dark Wizard?…but the flower spell… that was hers… even Killing Curses couldn't destroy it…why did she…why did she cast it in front of us…why did she not use it for herself… why did she cast it to defend us?_

Having seen so much, having heard so much, having witnessed so much, having had to process a lot of thoughts in a short time, Lily Evans felt like her head was about to explode.

The red-haired girl endured as the Ministry officials interviewed them, asking questions, on their uptake of what happened. But Lily was in a daze, her mind was flying, and she was only half-listening. Fortunately her friends were there, and the Aurors were understanding enough. They simply asked them to swear never to tell anyone else of what they experienced, not even their parents (of course, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, who had a front row seat, were an exception.). If they did it will have consequences. Lily and her friends had no choice but to agree (not that they would go against orders from Ministry officials).

Lily watched from a distance, as she saw the raven-haired boy and the white-haired girl playing with a little brown-haired girl.

Lily wanted to talk to him. Lily wanted to talk to her former friend.

She was confused. She was distraught. She did not know anymore. Still, her mind was able to process everything into four short sentences… in her mind, in her thoughts, without shouting out loud, she screamed inside her head…

WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON?

I MUST KNOW!

I NEED TO KNOW!

I WANT TO KNOW!

...

A day passed. Everything was back to normal.

She remembered everything, but only vaguely now. The Daily Prophet reported that the Aurors fought against You-Know-Who's supporters in Diagon Alley and a certain Muggle residence area.

The red-haired seemed to vaguely remember a hooded figure telling her of how she caused them problems, then how a white-haired girl said that it was her, that they were mistaken.

Lily read the news over and over again, telling herself, convincing herself…

_It wasn't real. It was just a dream. It was all just a dream. The Death Eaters attacked and the Aurors arrived just in time to rescue us. The girl…Sev…they were probably just illusions created by the shock that run my imagination at the time…_

Lily Evans spent the next few days doing her homework, busying herself, focusing on her studies, distracting herself. If she did so, then she will forget everything eventually, and it will be nothing more than a nightmare that passed, and she should have already awoken from it…

_Just a nightmare…just a dream, _the red haired girl continued telling herself.

…

Then, Lily Evans woke up one morning feeling great. It was a fine and sunny day. She thought of going out to relax for a bit. She had finished all her homework. What happened a little over a week over was nothing more than a bad dream to her now.

It was nice for the red-haired girl. She had been staying inside her house for over a week, and bit of sunshine and fresh air was good for her. She greeted the people she met respectfully, and they greeted back nicely as always. However, there was something which slightly bothered Lily…

_Why are they staring at me?_ the red-haired girl thought, as she noticed some of her neighbors were looking at her in a peculiar manner.

As she inspected herself to try and check what it was they were all looking at, she noticed that the clothes she was wearing, was already a bit faded. The red-haired girl thought that perhaps this was the reason. The last time she bought new clothes for herself was during the Christmas break.

_Maybe it's time I bought some new ones, _Lily thought to herself. The red-haired girl then remembered the clothes she tried on at Madam Janet's some three weeks before. She especially liked a white blouse, with rose shaped designs.

The red-haired girl decided that it was time to get herself some new clothes…

When she got to the store however, she was at first annoyed to learn that the clothes she planned to buy had already been bought by someone else, almost shouting inside the building, exasperated. As far as Lily remembered, since she turned fourteen two years ago, there was rarely anyone who had the same body fit as her.

She was irritated.

To think that someone would actually buy the exact same clothes she planned to buy. She was fuming. The manager tried to console her by saying that there were clothes arriving later that month, but Lily couldn't help but continue pouting.

_Now what I am supposed to do? This is the only shop in town where there are clothes that suit me._ Lily thought to herself. She was just about to turn and leave the shop when…

"Um…excuse me, Madam Janet?" Lily heard her own voice…no, a voice exactly like her own voice.

The red-girl turned around, and found herself face to face with herself… no, with someone who looks exactly like her, except that the hair was silvery-white.

To say that she was shocked would be an understatement. Lily Evans was petrified, frozen, stiff as stone, stiff as a statue. Everything that happened immediately rushed back to her.

That night…the Death Eaters…the battle…Sev…and…this girl…who called herself Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya.

She was frozen. Her senses weren't working properly. Just half a minute before she was irritated that she would not be able to buy clothes. Now, it didn't seem to bother her too much. It didn't even bother her that the girl was wearing the blouse she had been eyeing for a while, or that she asked Madam Janet to have clothes her size reserved for her (Even in her numbed state of mind, Lily Evans could still tell that her and the white-haired girl's body fit would be identical), meaning that Lily would not be able to acquire any.

The white-haired girl left the shop, eyeing the red-haired girl, emerald eyes staring on emerald eyes, a small smirk on her lips.

Lily was shaken. Everything else, all other thoughts processes in her mind was haulted. She did not even notice, did not understand what the shop employees were asking her, only few words and phrases, like "do you know her?", "related," "alike," "come again," were heard by the red-haired girl's ears, but did not reach her brain's response unit….

…

Lily Evans arrived at her house and onto her bed. She did not even remember how she got out of the shop, how she managed to get home, as her mind too was deep into itself. Too many things to process, too many things to think about, but there was one thought that finally became clear in Lily Evan's mind.

_What happened that night…it wasn't a dream…_

End of Monologue

**-BREAK-**

_Flashback_

_(Lily POV)_

_"Lily, are you sure you're okay dear? You seem depressed"_

_"I'm fine, Mom. It's nothing to worry about."_

_Lily had not got out of bed for two days, and her mother has been worried. The red-haired girl had been deep in thought, trying to think of what she should do next._

_Unfortunately, she had not been able to decide on anything. The only option that came to her mind was talking to her former friend Severus Snape. However, Lily, despite the fact that the raven-haired man had come to save her life, still resented the fact that he was infatuated with the Dark Arts and had hurt her, calling her a Mudblood. _

_The spell he used to save her, while aimed at the Death Eaters, was definitely Dark, and therefore evil, from Lily's perspective. Therefore, the red-haired girl was at loss, torn between forgiving her friend or not. Sev saved her, but used Dark Arts to do it._

_It was already four in the afternoon. Unable to decide on anything, Lily Evans went out of the house, thinking that a nice walk and some fresh air will help clear her mind. She walked around aimless, and when she noticed, she realized that she was absentmindedly headed in the direction of the old park._

_Then…_

_"What, I have to jog eight rounds today?" a familiar male voice cried out, exasperated._

_"Yes," replied a familiar female voice that sounded like Lily's own. "Yesterday, you succeeded in finishing seven, so I increased it by one."_

_"But I only barely managed it!" replied the male voice, the voice slightly panicky._

_Lily's froze for a moment. Then, as quietly as she could, she approached the old park, hiding herself from behind a tree, and peeped into the park to see who were conversing._

_"Well, then, after finishing seven rounds, you are to perform three hundred push-ups and curl-ups instead, three hundred each," Lily saw the white haired girl talking to the raven-haired boy._

_"What?" Sev asked the white-haired girl incredulously._

_"Well, then choose, the extra round, or the push-ups and curl-ups?"_

_The raven-haired boy started grumbling inaudibly for a few seconds._

_"Is this really necessary, for me to learn magecraft?" Sev said._

_Magecraft? thought Lily, as she leaned a bit nearer so that she could hear more, her curiosity aroused. She had read the word before, but never actually heard anyone say it before. Could it be some kind of Dark Arts? the red-haired girl thought nervously._

_"It is," replied the white-haired to Lily's former friend. "Keeping yourself physically fit is important for any magus or wizard, or any person, even non-magical people, for that matter, and it is indeed extremely crucial for those who use magic."_

_The white haired girl took a deep breath, then continued._

_"As I already told you before, the type of magic I use is far different to the kind of wand-swishing theatrics you wizards are used to doing. If you wish to use learn magecraft, then it is best that you are at your best condition, not only mentally, but also physically."_

_The raven-haired boy was still grumbling, apparently his body's aches overriding his ability to think straight._

_The white-haired girl sighed._

_"You and I both know that Lord Voldemort will probably try to have us eliminated again eventually…" said the girl._

_Lily couldn't help but gasp, and hoped that she wasn't noticed._

_"He and his followers may have their hand full at the moment, but once they have some time they will definitely come to try and kill us."_

_The raven-haired boy's face suddenly became serious._

_"I know that, Ilya, I know that," said the raven-haired boy. "Which is why I've been doing my best, both to learn more of your magic, and teaching you about mine. However…"_

_"Sev," the white-haired girl began. "Let me put it this way. Magic, both your brand and mine, can be very dangerous and effective against enemies. However, to try and use high level magecraft when you are not sufficiently trained or ready… well, you actually have a better chance of surviving an encounter with the Death Eaters or Lord Voldemort. You would end up killed by your own magic."_

_The red-haired girl was now straining her ears, trying to make sure she catches every word._

_The raven-haired young man fell silent._

_"If you can't control your own magic," the white-haired girl continued, "how can you protect yourself? And if you can't protect yourself, how can you protect the people you want to protect?"_

_"I guess you're right," the raven-haired boy surrendered._

_"Don't worry," chirped the white-haired girl, her voice now cheerful. "I will begin teaching you once I see you are ready. For now, though, you are fifteen minutes late from our usual schedule…"_

_"Right, I better get going now," Sev replied. "I'll come back once I finish running." The raven-haired boy tried to get away, but the white-haired girl grabbed one of his arms._

_"And as punishment for being the cause of the delay in our schedule," said the white-haired girl, a chilling smile on her face. "You will complete eight rounds and do the push-ups and curl-ups as well, are we clear?" _

_"Ye…yes Ma'm," the raven-haired boy replied, seemingly instinctively._

_"Okay, I'll see you later then, Sev."_

_"Yeah, see you in a bit, Ilya," replied the raven-hair, as he went off jogging._

_Lily watched the exchange silently, and couldn't help but feel a pang of regret and jealousy . As far as the red-haired girl could tell, Sev and the white-haired girl were close._

_In the past it was her who was by the raven-haired young man's side. They were friends, best friends, for a long time, but now there was someone else standing in that place, and to make it worse, it was someone who looked just liked her._

_The white haired girl now went and sat down on a swing. After a few minutes however, she suddenly spoke._

_"You know… it's rude to spy on people," said the white-haired girl in a cold voice, as she stood up from the swing and turned around to face a tree. "Come out, I know you're there. You've been watching us for a while now." _

_End of Flashback_

**-BREAK-**

(Lily POV)

They were alone in the park, in the park where she and Sev used to play when they were kids. In front of her was the white-haired girl who resembled her in almost every way except for the hair. They were about two meters away from each other, standing face to face.

Lily Evans wanted to ask the girl, she wanted to know about so many things, about her and Sev's relationship, about their magic (which, to Lily, seemed like Dark Arts), about the reason why You-Know-Who wanted to kill them, about their battle with the Death Eaters, about why she and Sev saved her(Lily) and her family, so many things.

However, for some reason, the red-haired girl was lost for words. She did not know what to say. She did not know where to begin. Now that she was standing in front of the person who could provide her answers, the words just wouldn't come out.

"You wanted to ask me something, right?" the white-haired girl asked the red-haired girl.

_Why, why can't I say anything?_ Lily thought inwardly. She couldn't understand why but she couldn't and thus, she remained silent.

"Nothing, you have nothing to ask me?" said the white haired girl. "Very well… I for one though want to ask you a question."

The white-haired girl's emerald eyes slightly narrowed, although her expression remained calm.

"What do you mean when you say Dark Arts, or Dark Magic?" the white-haired inquired.

Lily did not expect the white-haired girl to ask her a question.

"The Dark Arts are…well…"began the red-haired girl. "Are any kind of magic which is used to cause harm and hurt people, I guess, and the kinds of magic and practices banned by the Ministry are also Dark Arts and Magic."

"I see," said the white-haired girl. "So it means any magic that results in a negative effect to the well-being of another person? Any kind of magic that can harm or hurt people?

Lily nodded, not knowing how else to answer.

"Now then, I would like to ask you another question," said the white-haired girl, and this time the red-haired girl felt a chill emanating from the person in front of her. "Why did you end your friendship with Severus Snape?"

Lily did not expect such a question to be asked, but she had answered this question before, when she was asked by her parents (Her friends never asked her because they have been expecting and wanting her to break her friendship with the Slytherin anyway, so there was no need for explanation.), and therefore she answered automatically.

"Because he's infatuated with the Dark Arts," Lily answered automatically, and her voice gradually began rising. "Because he wanted to join You-Know-Who. Because he wanted to serve the Dark Lord! MERLIN! HE WANTED TO BECOME A DEATH EATER!"

Lily found herself gasping for breath as he shouted out the last sentence.

"Is that all?" inquired the white-haired, her voice quiet, her face still impassive.

"That's not all!" the red-haired began. "All this time I thought he was my friend! But I finally realized that wasn't the case. He may have once been my friend, but not any more! He was in too deep! He was hanging around his Death Eater loving friends, hexing and hurting people, using Dark Magic, Practicing the Dark Arts…For God's sake, he called me a MUDBLOOD! A MUDBLOOD! After all this time, I finally realized, SEV WAS NOT A GOOD PERSON! HE WAS EV…"Lily Evans ranted, but she was suddenly cut off by a scream that sounded like her own voice, but stronger in volume than her own shout.

SEV IS A GOOD PERSON! HE IS NOT EVIL! It was the white-haired girl, her emerald eyes narrowed dangerously. She was furious.

Silence fell between them. Then, the white-haired girl regained her composure, as when she spoke, it was in her calm voice again, but Lily Evans could tell that she was still really angry.

"I will ask you another question then, Ms. Evans," the white-haired girl stated. "Do the Marauders, specifically people named James Potter and Sirius Black, use Dark Magic?"

"No, they don't!" Lily replied automatically. "They're not that kind of…" but the red-haired girl once again fell silent.

The white-haired girl started giggling, a giggling which eventually turned into laughing.

"Oh, my," the white-haired girl cried out, as she tried to control her apparent mirth. "That really hit the spot."

Now it was Lily's turn to turn red with anger.

"What's so funny?" the red-haired girl said, scowling at the white-haired one.

"Tell me again, Lily Evans," said the white haired girl, still apparently struggling to restrain herself. "What do you mean when you say Dark Arts and Dark Magic?"

"It's magic used to hurt or harm people, it's"…

"And the Marauders do not hurt people?" the white-haired girl asked in a mockingly inquiring voice.

"Yes they do," the red-haired replied almost mechanically. "They would jinx and hex people for the fun of it, but they don't use Dark…"

But Lily was once again interrupted as the white-haired girl started laughing again.

"Didn't you just tell me that Dark Arts and Dark Magic is any magic used to hurt people?" the white-haired asked, still laughing.

"What do you mean?" the red-haired asked angrily.

"Well, the Marauders use _magic_ to hurt, harm, and bully people, but they don't use _Dark Magic_, right?" asked the white haired mockingly, putting stress on the words magic and Dark Magic. "The magic they use harm and hurt people, but it's not Dark Magic?"

Lily fell silent. She did not have any retort. She was confused. She did not know what to say.

"You know what I think?" the white-haired girl began again, and this time she was no longer laughing. Her voice was calm, but Lily could feel the chill emanating from it. "I think you were just looking for an excuse. After all the years you and Sev were together, after all he's done for your sake, you were just looking for a chance to throw your best friend away and make it appear like the whole thing was his fault."

THAT'S NOT TRUE! cried the red-haired girl, as her emerald narrowed and stared straight into a pair of identical ones.

"Oh, really?" the white-haired girl did not raise her voice, but every word from her were drillingly cold, and it would have been better if she just shouted. "Then why did you end your friendship?"

BECAUSE HE CALLED ME A MUDBLOOD! BECAUSE HE HURT ME! shouted Lily Evans.

"Really?" said the white-haired girl in her quiet cold voice. "Did he ever once put you in harm's way? Did he, at least even once, tried to harm you, to curse you using, as what you say, his so-called Dark Magic?"

Lily Evans was a mess. She wanted to escape, she wanted to get away from this girl who looked so much like her. Every word the white-haired girl spoke hurt her. She didn't want to hear. She didn't want to listen anymore.

But she couldn't get away. She couldn't escape, as if a part of the red-haired girl wanted to stay and listen, and thus she was unable to move from the spot where she was standing.

"He never did, not even once, did he?" the white-haired girl said quietly. "He never even once, tried to hurt you. And even though he was hanging around his Voldemort-loving friends, none of them ever tried to harm you, because Sev did everything in his power to keep you safe. And just because of one, tiny little word, Mudblood, you disregarded all that he's ever done for you, and threw him away like a rag doll. Even someone like James Potter would probably never be so cruel to do something like that to his friends."

"Did Sev put you up to this?" gasped Lily Evans, as tears started pouring from her eyes. She was hurting. Every word the white-haired girl spoke pierced her heart. "Did he ask you to do this? To hurt me?"

The white-haired laughed once again, soft, but cold.

"I think you should know one thing, Lily Evans," the white-haired girl began. "During the night that the Dark Lord's servants attacked your home, I never actually intended to come. I actually never wanted to help you."

Lily Evans felt as if another electric shock coursed through her. After all the white-haired girl told her, she completely forgot that she and Sev were the ones who saved her, were the reason she was still alive.

"It was Sev," the white-haired girl continued. "Sev cared for you dearly, even though you hurt him, even though you were the one who threw him away, still, he did not want to see you hurt. Despite everything, he still cares for you a great deal, and he went through great lengths to keep you safe, even defying his own desire to join the Dark Lord. He sacrificed his belief, his ambition, his path, for your sake. Severus Snape is as true a friend as can ever be. And true friends are rare. He was true to you, but you were never true to him."

Lily Evans could only stare at the identical pair of emerald eyes that the white-haired girl wore, and realized that the young woman was speaking from her heart. Yet, every word she spoke, seemed to strike at the red-haired girl's conscience.

"Yet you never even considered it, did you?" the white-haired girl continued in her cold voice. "The only reason I went with him was because I didn't want to him to die. I wanted to protect him, because he is my friend, and he would do the same for me, for I am his friend. But you, you did nothing. You just stood there, watching, as Sev fought for your sake against seventeen murderers, knowing he could get killed in the process."

"You never even saw Sev, did you? All you ever saw was yourself, am I right, Lily Evans? Ever since you were kids, whenever you felt sad, whenever you felt like crying, whenever you had a little misunderstanding with your sister, you always ran to him. You always went to him to seek comfort, even though you also knew for a fact what kind of home he had. You knew he was being abused. He never told you, but you knew the kind of father he had. You knew that he was always in pain. Yet you ignored it. As far as you can tell, he was a nice piece of tissue on which you could dry your tears."

In an instant, without realizing it, Lily Evans ' legs suddenly sprang to life. Before she could stop herself, she dashed forward and slapped the white-haired girl on her cheek, as hard as she could.

HOW DARE YOU! Lily Evans shrieked.

_I can't take it anymore. I have to get away from here. I need to get away from her,_ thought the red-haired girl desperately, for though part of her refused to acknowledge what the girl was saying, part of her acknowledged it as the truth. Lily Evans felt like she was being torn apart.

"I'm right aren't I?" smirked the white-haired girl, as she touched the cheek on the which the red-haired girl's palm hit.

Suddenly, Lily Evans felt a chill, a fear for her life. She remembered, that the girl standing in front of her, was a powerful witch, who could hold her own against many powerful wizards, and for an instant, she felt like she was about to be killed.

Emerald eyes stared into a pair of emerald eyes. The red-haired girl's eyes showing guilt and fear, the white-haired girl's showing cold conviction.

For a split second, Lily Evans thought she was going to be attacked, but instead...

"I'm leaving," said the white-haired girl, as she turned her back on Lily Evans. "I don't want to waste any more of my time sharing and breathing the same air and space as someone like you."

"What did you say?" shot the red-haired girl at the white-haired girl.

"I do not want to stay in the same place as someone like you," the white-haired repeated.

"How dare yo…" but Lily Evans fell silent when she felt the aura emanating from the girl who has her back to her.

"I will say this again. Sev, he truly saw you as a friend, but you only ever saw him as a tool. You. Used. Him. You and I both know his true self, his true nature. He is a kind-hearted person, but you never saw him for who he was. You only abused the fact that he was kind, yet you never ever truly returned his friendship. He was always there for you when you needed a shoulder to cry on. But you were never there for him when he needed one. You, and only you alone, mattered."

Lily Evans wanted to refute, but she couldn't speak.

"You know, Lily Evans," said the white-haired girl. "Sev once told me that you were the best and only true friend he ever had. He regretted hurting you and losing your friendship. He was sorry for the fact the he hurt you so many times, the time he called you a Mudblood."

The white-haired girl paused, and then continued.

"Sev told me that he was never even worthy of being your friend, and that he was lucky that you had always been there by his side. He said you were the reason why he managed to refuse joining the Dark Side."

Lily Evans felt as if her heart was hit by another arrow.

"You know what, Lily?" the white-haired girl said, using her first name as if to put a lot of emphasis. "I think it was actually the other way around…You were the one who was never even worthy of being his friend, you were the one who was lucky to have always had him by your side..."

The white-haired girl started walking away and left, leaving the red-haired girl alone in the park.

Lily Evans fell to her knees, and cried, hot tears pouring down her eyes. But it was so much more painful now, for she was alone, there was no one there for her, no shoulder she could lean on…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

The raven-haired man was finally on his eight and last jogging round around Spinner's End. He was only ten minutes from the park, where Ilya was waiting for him. He was tired, he was panting, but he could do it.

_It seems like my stamina is much better than before,_ thought Severus, then he sighed inwardly. _Now all I have to worry about are those hellish push-ups and curl-ups._

As he made a pass around his house again, however, he thought he saw a white-haired girl walking around, and stopped.

"Oh, hey," said Ilya, waving her hand at the raven-haired boy. The white-haired girl started walking toward him.

_What is going on?_ thought Severus. _Don't tell me she planned to leave me at the park feeling stupid? That wouldn't be very…_

But the raven-haired man was frozen from this thought as he saw Ilya's face: the girl was smiling, but the whites of her eyes were red, tears silently flowing down her face.

The white-haired girl stopped, as she leaned her head onto Severus' chest.

The raven-haired boy was very worried.

"Hey, what happened? Are you all right?" Severus asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine," replied Ilya. "Though if you don't mind, I wish to stay like this for a while. Some dust fell in my eyes, you see, and…"

"No I completely understand," replied Severus. "You don't need to say anything else. I'm here."

"Thank you," replied the white-haired girl.

Severus watched, gently switching between patting her back and stroking her hair, as the raven-haired man heard sniffles coming from Ilya, who was doing her utmost to stop herself from screaming, so as not to attract the attention of the neighbors, letting the tears fall silently down her face…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

First of all, I would like to greet everyone a Merry Christmas.

Now, about this chapter, I must admit I did the best that I could with it, though I am unsure if it will be good enough. The main problem is that I'm a guy. Yes, I've watched girls fighting in front of me before. Still, I hope my portrayal of the confrontation is to your satisfaction.

Anyway, for those drama lovers out there, I hope you find this chapter good enough, and I hope everybody enjoys reading. ^_^

Later, then.


	17. CHAPTER 15

**CHAPTER 15: SHADOW**

(Severus POV)

Severus and Ilya were eating dinner.

"WOAH! HOT! HOT!" The raven-haired boy exclaimed, as he immediately drank down two glasses of water.

Severus frowned as he saw the white-haired girl smirk at his reaction.

"What kind of hellish meal is this?" asked the raven-haired boy, his mouth still burning.

"Oh, it's a Japanese dish. it's called curry," the white haired girl replied.

"Well, it's spicy as hell, that's for sure," replied the raven-haired boy, then began to fill his plate again.

"Why, you don't like it?" Ilya pouted.

"It's ho...hot," the raven-haired boy said, as he filled his emptied plate with a third serving. "But I must admit it's quite good. Where did you learn how to cook anyway?"

"Oh, my brother taught me," said Ilya absentmindedly.

For the past two weeks Ilya has been the one doing the cooking most of the time at the Snape residence. Despite the fact that he lived alone, the raven-haired boy didn't know how to cook. Severus normally ordered food or bought them ready-to-eat, and the only food he could ever cook was egg and bacons.

Still, it was kind of nice. Severus enjoyed her cooking, as well as the flustered looked she wore on her face whenever he complimented her. Still…

"Hey Ilya, are you all right?" the raven-haired boy brought the white-haired girl out of her reverie. "You seem to be a bit pale."

"Huh, oh yes, I'm fine," smiled Ilya. "Just a little tired."

"But you barely touched the food on your plate," Sev said, worry in his voice.

"Oh," replied Ilya. "This is actually my third plate, if you haven't noticed."

Severus was feeling worried about his companion's well-being. He knew that something happened that afternoon, he didn't know what, but whatever it was made Ilya cry. He wanted to know what happened, if someone bullied her, tried to harm her.

Then again, the only people who might even have a chance of doing that would be powerful wizards, which is unlikely, since Ilya didn't seem to be in any danger, she was simply emotionally distraught.

Severus guessed that Ilya must have reminisced something painful from her past, it could be the only explanation. Therefore, the raven-haired man tried his best to console the girl, by diverting her mind's attention.

"I see," nodded the raven-haired boy in agreement. "Well, that's an improvement, considering that the amount of food you normally finish is way above that, that it's worrying. You could end up blowing up like a ballo…" but Severus was suddenly forced to stop.

In one quick motion, the white-haired girl placed a spoonful (using the larger serving spoon) of curry into Severus' mouth.

The raven haired man gasped for breath, as all hell was sent loose inside his mouth.

"Could you please repeat what you just said, Sev?" smiled Ilya, in a dangerously sweet and calm voice. "It was something about my food intake, and about me blowing up like a balloon, right?"

Severus flinched. He suddenly remembered one of the topics girls hate the most. Having been friends with Lily Evans for a long time, he should have learned never to tease girls about their weight, or even try to delve on that subject for that matter.

"Ugh…" Severus voiced helplessly.

"Now then," said Ilya sweetly. "Since you told me that I should decrease the amount I eat, then you will help me, by finishing the rest of the curry, and just to make sure you will be able to, you will not be allowed to drink water until you finished all of it, to ensure that there is enough space. It is after all, not good to throw away good food."

Severus looked at the hellish meal on Ilya's plate, then at the cooking casserole. There was still enough there for four servings.

"Now, then Sev," as Ilya grabbed tightly to one of his arms, while filling the serving spoon with the hellish meal, moving it in the direction of his mouth…

"Open wide…"

_Me and my big mouth,_ thought Severus bitterly to himself.

**-BREAK-**

(Lily POV)

_"What do you mean when you say Dark Arts, or Dark Magic?" the girl who was identical to her asked._

Lily Evans recalled her encounter with the white-haired girl. In truth, she was the one who wanted to ask questions, but instead, it was the white-haired girl who interrogated her.

After saying all she wanted to say, the white-haired girl left the park, leaving the red-haired girl in a confused, hurt and disoriented state.

It had already been a few hours since then, but for Lily Evans, the ordeal has not yet ended. The questions, the answers, the accusations, the pain, everything was going on as if it were happening in the present, inside the red-hair girl's head.

As she sat on her bed, clutching a pillow, Lily Evans remembered how she answered that question. Like the many times she was asked of the same question, she took out the answer direct from the books and articles she read.

_"The Dark Arts are…well...are any kind of magic which is used to cause harm and hurt people, I guess, and the kinds of magic and practices banned by the Ministry are also Dark Arts and Magic,"_ the red haired girl remembered herself respond.

Lily Evans thought that she was smart. She thought she knew what she was talking about. She thought she knew the meaning of Dark Arts and Dark Magic. From the books, from what others say, from every possible source of knowledge, she knew what it means…

_Why did you end your friendship with Severus Snape?_

The white-haired girl asked Lily a question that brought back painful memories. Lily Evans had so many reasons to end his friend ship with Severus Snape, so many of them in fact, all of which were, for a good person, sufficient on its own to end the friendly relation with the other party.

_"Because he's infatuated with the Dark Arts…Because he wanted to join You-Know-Who. Because he wanted to serve the Dark Lord! MERLIN! HE WANTED TO BECOME A DEATH EATER!"_

Lily Evans though that she managed to explain the point well, but…

_"Is that all?" inquired the white-haired girl._

One simple question, "is that all," yet the weight it carries was heavy. The white-haired girl was questioning the significance of the points Lily just stated. Why could the girl not understand? Therefore, Lily had to give a more personal rather than logical response.

_"That's not all! "All this time I thought he was my friend! But I finally realized that wasn't the case. He may have once been my friend, but not any more! He was in too deep! He was hanging around his Death Eater loving friends, hexing and hurting people, using Dark Magic, Practicing the Dark Arts…For God's sake, he called me a MUDBLOOD! A MUDBLOOD! After all this time, I finally realized, SEV WAS NOT A GOOD PERSON! HE WAS EV…"_

But then the white-haired girl did not let her finish her sentence.

_SEV IS A GOOD PERSON! HE IS NOT EVIL!_

Lily could not understand. After everything she told the white-haired girl, she simply would not listen to logic, listen to reason. The red-haired girl was confused, and at the same time, she felt a part, in her own self, that wholeheartedly agreed with the white haired girl, that Lily's former best friend was a good person.

_"Do the Marauders, specially people named James Potter and Sirius Black, use Dark Magic?"_

Once again Lily Evans was confused. The red-haired girl could not see the relevance of this question. Still, she answered it, as she had always known the truth, after all.

_"No, they don't!"_ the red-haired girl replied automatically. _"They're not that kind of…"_

But to Lily Evans' confusion and irritation, the white-haired girl started laughing. And to make it worse, she repeated her question that Lily has already dutifully answered.

_"What do you mean when you say Dark Arts and Dark Magic?"_

The red-haired girl remembered how she was starting to get annoyed with the white-haired girl's antics. Still, she played along, wondering what nonsense the girl in front of her could possibly be getting at.

_ "It's magic use to hurt or harm people,…"_

The white-haired girl then asked another question.

_"And the Marauders do not hurt people?" _

To this Lily replied with the same statement her fellow Gryffindors always used to compare the Marauders to Slytherins, the same statement she always told Sev.

_"Yes they would jinx and hex people for the fun of it, but they don't use Dark Magic."_

Lily could not understand at the time, as she remembered the last word of her sentence drowned out by the white-haired girl's laughter, though the red-haired girl was sure it was understood.

But Lily was once again interrupted as the white-haired girl started laughing again.

For the third time, the white-haired girl asked a question which she(Lily) Evans has already answered.

_"Didn't you just tell me that Dark Arts and Dark Magic is any magic used to hurt people?"_

"What do you mean?"

At this point, the red-haired girl recalled that her temper was at its limit. She couldn't see it. She couldn't see the point of their conversion now, which was leading into something no more than nonsense. She already had a half-mind to just leave her apparently loony look-alike when…

_"Well, the Marauders use magic to hurt, harm, and bully people, but they don't use Dark Magic, right…The magic they use harm and hurt people, but it's not Dark Magic?"_

The first blow struck.

Lily Evans, for the first time since she entered the world of magic, realized only knew the words and sentences attributed to the term. It was hard to swallow, and took a while to process, but now that she had time to think about it, the red-haired girl realized what exactly her white-haired mirror image was talking about.

Dark Magics…Dark Arts…She only knew the words by concept, by book meaning, by dictionary not by practice, not in real life.

But the white-haired girl did not stop there.

At this point, she now wanted to run, she wanted to get away from her.

Lily Evans thought she had always been right, that everything she had learned and has been told, that everything she had accepted was the truth.

The red-haired girl thought of her former best friend, a mixture of feelings, including sorrow, regret, and…joy? disregard? relief?

_"After all the years you and Sev were together, after all he's done for your sake, you were just looking for a chance to throw your best friend away and make it appear like the whole thing was his fault."_

_"Did he ever once put you in harm's way? Did he, at least even once, tried to harm you, to curse you using, as what you say, his so-called Dark Magic?"_

_"He never even once, tried to hurt you… And just because of one, tiny little word, Mudblood, you disregarded all that he's ever done for you, and throw him away like a rag doll." _

_"Sev cared for you dearly, even though you hurt him, even though you were the one who threw him away, still, he did not want to see you hurt. Despite everything, he still cares for you a great deal, and he went to great lengths to keep you safe, even defying his own desire to join the Dark Lord. He sacrificed his belief, his ambition, his path, for your sake." _

_"Severus Snape is as true a friend as can ever be…" _

_"He was true to you, but you were never true to him…"_

_"…you did nothing. You just stood there, watching, as Sev fought for your sake against seventeen murderers, knowing he could get killed in the process."_

_"You never even saw Sev, did you? All you ever saw was yourself…"_

_ "As far as you can tell, he was a nice piece of tissue on which you could dry your tears."_

_"… you only ever saw him as a tool."_

_ "You." _

_"Used."_

_ "Him."_

_"I'm right, aren't I?" said a cheerful, icy voice._

Lily Evans looked up, and was horrified.

In front of her was not a white-haired girl identical to her, but a girl with dark-red hair, with emerald green eyes, smiling wickedly, eyes glinting maliciously in the dark surroundings.

Lily Evans was not looking at someone who looked like her…

She was looking at herself…

"It's not true." said Lily.

_"Yes it is." said the other Lily_.

"No it's not!"

_"Yes, it is."_

"NO IT'S NOT!"

_"Oh, yes it is…"_

Suddenly there was knock on Lily's door, followed by the worried voice of her mother.

"Lily, are you okay dear," asked Mrs. Evans. "We thought we heard you screaming?"

"No, I'm fine Mom," replied the red-haired girl to her mother. "It was just a bad dream. Don't worry. It's nothing."

"Okay then, dear," replied her kind parent. "If you ever need anything, you can go to our room."

Lily heard the footsteps of her mother getting softer as she moved away from her door…

The red-haired girl then tucked herself into bed.

"It's not true…it's not true…it's not true…" Lily Evans repeated to herself, as she waited for sleep to come. But no matter what she did, no matter how she tried, she could not block the other voice that was whispering in her ear… her own voice…

_"Oh, yes it is…"_

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Merry Christmas! ^_^


	18. CHAPTER 16

**CHAPTER 16: MORNING SUN**

(Severus POV)

"Are you ready?" the white-haired girl inquired.

It is now 4am, 25th of August. After a little over three weeks of physical training, Ilya was finally going to start teaching the raven-haired young man about magecraft.

Severus merely nodded, as Ilya activated the cloaking spell and barrier of the Boundary Field around his house to prevent anyone from entering or noticing anything.

The raven-haired man had done his end of the bargain. While Ilya made him run around the neighborhood, doing incredulously difficult physical exercises, Severus had been busy teaching her how the ways of his magic, but mostly focused on teaching her how to cast spells.

In no time at all, Ilya was now able to cast a number of spells with her wand, including the Disarming Spell, Stunning Spell, and the Impediment Curse, both with and without using her wand (_I can't believe it took me twice the amount of time to learn all that, and I was even a faster learner than most of my classmates, _thought Severus.).

While the raven-haired man did instruct her, Ilya had been doing studying on her own, reading not only the school books, but also all of the books that Severus' mother had left behind. The white-haired girl was determined, trying to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible.

One thing that Severus had been surprised about though was the fact that even though Ilya has been using the magic of his world, the Ministry had not been sending them any letters. At first, he thought it was probably because the Ministry does not know about Ilya's existence, but then…

Severus also remembered that the summer before, the Ministry had wrongfully accused him of casting a Summoning Charm, when in fact it had been Lily who had done so. Ever since his mother Eileen died, Severus had been unable to cast a spell without a warning letter, because there was no longer an adult in the house. Severus thought this as trivial, sure it would not cause him expulsion. He suspected that the Trace on Underage Use of Magic, however it worked, seemed to detect magic on an area rather than an individual basis, but shrugged off the thought, thinking it was irrelevant.

The worse that Severus got was one weeks' worth detention at Hogwarts, when he decided to use an Impediment Curse on a neighbor's dog that was wreaking his yard (One detention each for three instances, four for a Hair Loss Curse on the dog, which made it lose all its fur.).

Therefore, after a while, Severus decided to confront the white-haired girl about it.

_Flashback_

_(Severus POV)_

_"How do you do that Ilya?" the raven-haired boy inquired._

_"What do you mean, Sev?" the white-haired girl inquired back, as she was levitating plates towards the kitchen sink with her wand._

_"I mean, you've been using magic all this time, yet the Ministry hasn't detected anything," Severus began. "As far as I know the Ministry, they would have probably sent a dozen warning letters by now, and I would have probably gotten a month's worth detention at school by now as well, with the number of spells you've been casting."_

_"You really want to know?" Ilya asked teasingly._

_"Yes, I do," replied Severus, seriously curious._

_"Then, why don't you try casting a spell then," chirped the white-haired girl._

_"What?" the raven-haired boy asked incredulously._

_"Come on, Sev, just cast a spell," repeated the girl. "As long as you're inside the yard, you won't be found out. Any spell you know will do."_

_Severus pondered for a moment…_

_"Alright then," sighed the raven-haired boy, and pulled out his wand._

_"Impedimenta!" he cried, pointing at a crow perched on tree that was annoying him._

_The black bird fell to the ground and was still._

_Then..._

_"So what now?" the raven-haired boy inquired of the white-haired girl._

_"You wait…" replied the girl, smiling. "You can wait a hundred years, forever if you want, but no owl will come flying here, since the Ministry would not have detected anything."_

_"What?" said Severus, surprised._

_"That's right," began Ilya, in her 'Professor Emiya' tone of voice. "I have discovered how the Ministry supposedly detects the use of underage magic. There are two ways actually. First is this so-called Trace. I do not know exactly how it works, but it latches itself onto anyone possessing magic who is under the age of seventeen. It serves a purpose similar to a tracking device."_

_"A tracking device?" Severus inquired._

_"Yes."_

_"And you said it will detect any underage wizard possessing magic?"_

_"Yes." _

_"Then, how come it did not detect you?" asked the raven-haired boy._

_"That is because I prevented the Trace from latching itself onto me," replied Ilya conversationally._

_"Is that even possible?" asked the raven-haired boy incredulously. "How did you manage to d…?"_

_"I will tell you later," the white-haired girl cut Severus off. "Now, the second way they detect magic is something similar in nature to a Boundary Field, and according to your books that I've read, they are called magical wards."_

_"Something similar to a Boundary Field?"_

_"Yes, these Ministry wards do not detect underage magic. They detect any magic cast in general, and is able to recognize certain spells. Even if a spell it does not recognize is cast, it is still able to detect that magic is used," said Ilya. "And as far as I can tell, there are so many of these wards cast around us. They interlink with each other, thus not leaving any area unchecked. I believe it probably covers the entire country, if not most of the populated areas," the white haired girl finished._

_"WHAT?" Severus was shocked. In all the time he had been living in the magical community, this was the first time he heard of this._

_The raven-haired boy was quiet for a while, his brain trying to process the information he received._

_"So, these Ministry wards," Severus began. "You said that they only detect magic being cast? Not the one who cast it?"_

_"That is correct," said Ilya._

_"Then, if for example, there are five underage wizards in one place, the Ministry would not be able to tell who exactly cast the magic?"_

_"Correct."_

_Upon hearing this, Severus was upset. He realized what it meant._

_'That confirms it. So they did not actually know it was me who did it, they did not actually know who it was performing the magic,' thought the raven-haired boy bitterly. 'The damn Ministry simply assumed it was me who cast the spell simply because they know I'm there because of the Trace, and it was my home. The same as when I cast an Engorgement Charm on a frog at Lily's to scare Petunia, and it was Lily who got sent a letter, causing another fight with her sister, who managed to get her hands on the letter first.'_

_'And the reason why the letters were not sent while my mother was still alive was because she was an adult, and thus the Ministry assumed it was her performing the spell,' thought Severus, getting even more upset. _

_"The Ministry is indeed using a most effective and fair underage magic detection system," Severus said, sarcasm and bitterness in his voice._

_"Indeed they do, Sev," the white-haired girl added mockingly._

_A few moments of silence passed between. Then, Severus decided to ask another question._

_"How come the Ministry could not detect you performing magic?" the raven-haired boy inquired. "And how come you said that as long as I'm on standing in the yard it won't be able to detect me using spells as well?"_

_The raven-haired boy was curious, and at the same time, anxious. He really wanted to know…_

_"It is because I removed the Ministry's ward," replied Ilya automatically._

_Severus blinked. It took him a few seconds to process what the white-haired girl said. And then…._

_"YOU TOOK DOWN THE MINISTRY'S WARD?" Severus yelled, half-impressed, half-panic- stricken._

_"Yes I did," said the white-haired girl, without a change in tone or volume._

_MERLIN, thought the raven-haired boy. _

_Severus was alarmed. To take down powerful magic like the Ministry's ward is indeed quite a feat, but it could end up landing them in Azkaban, wizard's prison…_

_As if the white-haired girl knew what he was worrying about…_

_"Oh, don't worry," said Ilya cheerfully. "They'll never know."_

_"What do you mean they'll never know?" cried Severus, unable to control himself. "For Merlin's sake, you took down a Ministry ward. It's impossible for them to not detect one of their spells missing. Merlin, we're in deep trou…"_

_"Oh, don't be such a drama queen," said the white-haired girl, completely dropping her teacher persona for an instant, (as Severus noticed that the white-haired girl was looking at him with amused eyes)."The Ministry won't find out."_

_The white-haired girl looked Severus straight in the eyes, as her face got close and closer, until their noses were almost touching. Then the girl said two words._

_"Trust me."_

_"Okay, okay, I trust you," said Severus, as he realized that he was blushing, and quickly turned around to hide it from Ilya. For some reason he could not help but believe in the girl's word, especially when she reassures him. "Anyway, could you at least explain to me when you did it, and how?"_

_The white-haired girl sat down and began explaining, back in 'Professor Emiya' mode._

_"Oh, I removed it on the Second of August, before we went to rescue Lily Evans," said the white-haired girl._

_Severus couldn't help but let out a gasp._

_The white-haired girl began her explanation._

_"As to how I did it…well… first, I temporarily disabled the prana, or magic, detection ability of all the wards in the area. Second, I removed the ward that was placed around the house, and replaced it with my Boundary Field. Now, one the many features of the Field I placed is that its frequency and behavior would be exactly like that of the Ministry wards."_

_Ilya took a deep breath then continued._

_"After that, I connected my Boundary Field, disguised as a Ministry ward, to the others around it and created a false link. It is connected, but it does not in fact share any information to the ward network. It is for that reason that any spell cast, as long as you're within my Boundary Field, will not be detected. And all the Trace can do is pinpoint the exact location of an underage wizard, not the magic they perform," the white-haired girl ended._

_Severus remained silent, as his brain once again started processing the information he just received._

_'So in other words, Ilya replaced a Ministry ward with her Bounded Field that mimics a Ministry ward…ah my head hurts', thought the raven-haired boy to himself. _

_"Okay, I think I now get it for the most part," the raven-haired boy. "Now then, you said the Trace allows the Ministry to trace the location of any underage wizard?"_

_The white-haired girl nodded._

_"How come you did not have it?" inquired the raven-haired boy. "And what do you mean you prevented the spell from latching onto you?"_

_"Well…um…" Ilya began, mubling, and for the first time since their conversation started she appeared reluctant to say something. "As I think you already know, I…um…came from a different…um place…um…country…"_

_"Mmmm?" Severus was puzzled by the girl's sudden reaction._

_The raven-haired boy, did not yet know at this point, just where exactly Ilya came from. Severus wanted to know, he really did, but he did not want to be the one to ask…_

_A forest…frozen…cold as hell…a white-haired girl standing all alone._

_The raven-haired young man was suddenly reminded of that nightmare. It was a clue. Still. Severus wanted Ilya to be the one to tell him herself, so he would wait…_

_"Anyway...the Ministry's wards do not stretch to the place I came from," said Ilya in a snappish voice, irritated with herself, as Severus noticed._

_"As for how I managed to prevent the Trace from affecting me," the girl continued, her voice now regaining a calm demeanor. "It was because of my magical resistance. The Trace is a spell that is passively and constantly cast through the Ministry wards. As far as I could tell, the magi from where I came from, and the wizards here all have some form of magical resistance. Magical resistance is a form of passive defense against magical attacks aimed directly at a target. However, as the Trace spell does not do any harm to the person it is placed upon, then the natural reaction of the magic in your bodies allow it, as it is not considered a threat. I, however, recognized it as such, and therefore I actively rejected the spell. My magic now recognize the Trace as foreign, and therefore, all attempts of it latching on to me are prevented by reflex, even when I sleep."_

_'So, in other words, Trace spells are constantly cast by the wards on underage wizards,' thought Severus. 'And the reason Ilya is unaffected is because her magic is also constantly rejecting the Trace from being put on her'._

_"I see," Severus said finally, although it did take him a while to process the thought. "Then, Ilya, could you teach me how to remove it?"_

_The white-haired girl paused for a while._

_"I could," Ilya said finally. "It's actually quite easy, even you will be able to do it…"_

_Severus could feel his face light up. 'Finally', he thought._

_"But even if you learn how, I would advice against removing it Sev," added the white-haired girl._

_"What?" said Severus, surprised. "But why? You told me I could…"_

_"Yes you could," said the white-haired girl. "You could remove the Trace on you, but your case and mine are different. As far as your magical system, which is used by the Ministry, is concerned, I do not exist, I am an enigma. Therefore, I simply prevented it from finding out about me."_

_The white-haired girl then took a deep breath and continued._

_"As for you…the Ministry has already kept a tab on you, as well as the other underage wizards around. As far as I can tell the Trace registers your name, how it is able to do so I do not know yet exactly. Still, if you removed the Trace on yourself, the system will immediately detect that one of the wizards in the records suddenly disappeared, even though they have not yet turned seventeen."_

_Severus' mouth fell open. _

_"And if they find out that an underage wizard breaks the Trace placed on them before they turned seventeen, well…I think there's no need for me to elaborate the consequences of such action," Ilya ended._

_"I see…so even if I could remove the Trace… it would still be pretty much useless since the Ministry already knows I exist…" said Severus, unable to contain the bitterness in his voice._

_"Oh, don't be like that Sev," said Ilya consolingly. "Even if they know where you are, as long as you're here, the Ministry will never know that you've been doing magic."_

_"Yes, I guess you're righ.." Severus began, almost completely reassured, but then he remembered something. "…Hey, wait!"_

_"What is it?" Ilya inquired, looking mildly surprised at his sudden outburst._

_"Ilya…Could you tell me again, since when have the Ministry been unable to detect magic spells cast in my house and yard?"_

_"Um…since the second of August?" replied Ilya, curious at his repetition. "Why?"_

_"Why didn't you tell me?' the raven-haired young man said exasperatedly. "All this time I've been holding back from practicing spells because we're not allowed… I could've been able to do a lot of things had I known…Why didn't you tell me about it?"_

_"Um…because you didn't ask?" was the white-haired girt's response to the question. "And besides, you've seen me casting spells for days now. I thought you had already figured it out on your own…Sev?"_

_Severus Snape fell to his knees, feeling weary._

_'It wasn't Ilya's fault…she gave me more credit than I deserved…ah, why was I so slow to see it?' Severus thought to himself._

_"Anyway," he heard Ilya saying, as she looked at her recently bought wristwatch. "It's nearly four o'clock, it's almost time for your running exercises. You better get ready…"_

_End of Flashback_

Looking back now, Severus knew there was no point crying over spilled milk. Therefore, he will just focus on moving forward instead.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Here, swallow this," said Ilya to the white-haired boy.

"What is it?" Severus inquired, as he looked at the red, candy-like object in the girl's hand.

"Just do it," said the white-haired girl, and before Severus could react, she had shoved it into his mouth.

Having been caught by surprise, Severus had no problem swallowing the small red sweet.

"What is it?" Severus asked again.

"It's a jewel. A ruby, to be more precise," replied the white-haired girl conversationally.

Severus froze for a split second at that piece of information.

"What? You made me swallow a jewel? Are you crazy? Are you trying to ki…?"

"No I'm not crazy, and no, I'm not trying to kill you," replied Ilya, in her 'Professor Emiya' persona. "It's the opposite. As I already told you, using magecraft is dangerous, even to the user himself. That jewel might actually help you survive."

Severus gulped.

"Now then," said Ilya. "Although there are still so many things I do not comprehend, there are a few key points I learned about your magic. First, is that you normally channel and focus od and prana through a wand, using it as a magic circuit, and then releasing it in the form of a spell. The wand itself, having a part of a magical creature as a core, possess a certain amount of magic which is similar to od, and it perpetually recharges itself from the prana in the air, which means that the wand, having a store of magic on its own, amplifies any spell cast using it. Second, as for your wandless magic, I noticed that it usually involves focusing od and prana on a certain point in the air, normally with hand movements, utilizing it as an imaginary wand, and then releasing it into a spell."

Severus nodded silently. He already knew about some of the things the girl said, except that she was using the words od and prana, instead of magic.

"I must admit it is a safe method," continued Ilya. "There are magi in the place I came from, whose magecraft utilize the same concept your witches and wizards do. Even one of the spells I use, Gandr, should you know how it works, can be cast through your methods.

The raven-haired boy was listening intently. Gandr, as his memory served, referred to those black ball spells Ilya used to pummel the Death Eaters. To be able to learn how to use it would of great help.

"However, there is one main thing that I noticed different about your witches and wizards," said the white-haired girl. "It is the fact that while your witches and wizards seem to possess a huge amount of od, as well as the ability to control mana, they do not seem to know the basic difference between them. It really amazes me that you are able to cast spells without even grasping these two basic concepts."

"What do you mean?" inquired Severus.

"Let me explain," said Ilya. "Mana, is "magical energy which is abundant in nature and is all around us, while "od" is magical energy that a magus, or in your case, a wizard possess. Tell me, Sev, how do you start casting a spell?"

"Well, we would concentrate, try and concentrate energy and when it seems sufficient, we launch the spell," replied the raven-haired boy.

"What type of energy do you focus on, what is present within your body, or what is present in the surroundings?"

"Well…I don't really know," Severus replied honesty. "What we do is focus magical energy.."

"Without knowing where it came from," Ilya completed the sentence.

"Well, wizards possess magical power, so if it is in your terms, I guess we are using od for our spells."

"That is true for most wizards, partially true for some, and not for a few who use mana for their curses." sighed the white-haired girl. "As for you, Sev, you belong to the first group. You, by reflex, use od for your spells."

"What do you mean?" asked Severus again. He was confused. He could not exactly comprehend everything that Ilya was trying to teach him.

"What I mean is that you wizards simply focus magical energy without knowing where It came from'" Ilya repeated. "When we fought against the Death Eaters I noticed this fact."

"What do you mean? How is it important?" asked Severus again. "I mean, we are able to successfully cast spells with magic, we can focus it properly, so why is it important to know where it came from?"

"That is true in a way," the white-haired girl replied. "Despite not knowing about these concepts you are able to cast your spells. However, wizards who by reflex use od, the magic within the body, tire really quickly, the ones who use a mix of the two are able to maintain casting for longer, and the ones who use mana have the greatest amount of stamina when it comes to casting."

"I see," nodded Severus, finally understanding something. "So you mean I have to learn how to use prana to cast magic?"

"Yes, that is one aspect. However, when it comes to speed, od users have a great advantage over those who use mana, since they are able to cast their spells faster. While it is true that practice and experience make up for the difference, you have no extensive knowledge on the subject, and each wizard receives similar education. In other words, od users have an advantage in short-term fights while mana users have an advantage in long-term battles, though of course if it is a duel, then the faster one normally wins."

Ilya then took a deep breath, before she spoke again.

"Not knowing about the concept of od and mana has caused a great setback to your type of magic," she stated.

"What do you mean?" inquired Severus again. He noticed that he had been asking the same question over and over, but he couldn't help it. He was really curious.

"Because of the flaw in your education…" began the white-haired girl. "…which chooses safety and convenience over power and effectiveness, fearing the dangers it might bring. You have never tried to explore further, and your progress as wizards is thereby hindered and limited."

Severus felt a sudden chill. This type of thinking, it was so similar one of the Dark Lord's own. _"To experiment, and delve deeper into the knowledge of magic."_

_No…no…this is different…it does not involve hurting other people…only yourself…_thought Severus as shook his head_. And that is far from the Dark Lord's methods, which is hurting others._

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Now Sev," said Ilya, awakening the raven-haired man from his reverie. "I told you before that magecraft is unlike the wand flicks and swishes that you are used to. Learning, as well as using it, if you are unprepared, can be very dangerous. Even the most basic, the most meager form of magecraft that will probably do no more than your type of Levitation magic, could make you lose an arm. Do you wish to proceed?"

"I do," said Severus.

"Are you willing to risk your life for it?" asked Ilya.

"I am," replied the raven-haired boy.

"Why are you willing to risk your life for it?" the white-haired asked another question.

Severus was starting to get nervous and irritated.

"What is this?" asked the raven-haired boy, exasperated. "When I was teaching you my kind of magic I never gave you such a hard time."

"Well, that was your choice," replied Ilya, her voice cool. "As for me, though, Sev, I wish to know your intentions. Please, tell me honestly. What is it that you want? By learning magecraft, what is it that you seek to accomplish?"

The white-haired girl was now staring Severus straight in the eyes, emerald pair on black.

For a few moments, silence fell between them, as Severus tried to think of a good answer. But Ilya wanted him to be honest though.

"Because I want power," Severus finally answered.

A sudden chill emanated from the girl.

"You want power?" the white-haired girl asked the raven-haired boy, her voice chillingly cold. "Is that why you want to learn magecraft? Because you want power?"

Another moment's silence.

"Yes," replied the raven-haired boy in a low voice.

"I see," said the white-haired girl, her voice still cold as ice' a lot of pressure in it. "Then tell me, Severus Snape, why do you wish to have more pow…"

Severus Snape was one who could normally work well under pressure, especially in class, and when he was making a Potion, which required a lot of patience. However, after all the stress Ilya's questions placed upon him, something in his head snapped, and before he could stop himself, he was shouting.

BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE THE POWER TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU! BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT BY YOUR SIDE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! I HATE HAVING TO WATCH HELPLESSLY IN THE SHADOWS, WHILE YOU GO OUT AND FACE DANGER TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T NEED YOU TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T WANT YOU TO PROTECT ME! I WANT TO BE THE ONE PROTECTING YOU! YOU'RE THE WHOLE WORLD TO ME! I DON'T EVER WANT TO LOSE YOU! I,,,

Suddenly the raven-haired boy's mind started to function again, but he realized that it was too late.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

_Oh, no, what have I done? _thought Severus to himself.

He did not remember exactly what he said, but he clearly remembered that he had been shouting at Ilya.

_I yelled at her…I hurt her…she probably hates me now,_ thought the raven-haired boy bitterly, as he looked down on the grass, refusing to look up, ashamed, after what he had done.

A long and painful silence passed…

_Now, I've done it…she'll definitely want to leave now…I'll be alone again…no, she'll be alone again…and it's my fault…_

Then, the white-haired girl spoke.

"I see, I understand now," Severus heard Ilya's voice, and it sounded as if she was about to cry.

"Ilya…I….I" the raven-haired young man stammered.

"Sev, look at me," he heard the white-heard girl's voice, and it sounded gentle.

Severus did not want to look up. He was ashamed of himself, for what he did. But still, he knew that Ilya was waiting for him to comply with her request, so slowly he did so…

And his heart leapt.

There was Ilya, staring straight at him. Her face with a red tinge, illuminated in the morning sun,as she slowly closed her eyes to shun away the sunlight…her clothes and silvery white-hair hair flowing gently in the breeze…

She was smiling…the most beautiful smile the raven-haired boy had ever seen on her… the most beautiful smile he had ever seen his entire life…and she was smiling at him…smiling for him...she was smiling because of him…

All thought processes in the raven-haired boy's head shut down…all other emotions…everything…Tobias…Eileen…Death Eaters…Lily…Voldemort...his worries…his fears… his sadness…everything else seemed so trivial. In that one moment, which Severus wished would last for an eternity, he forgot the rest of the world, he forgot everything else, nothing else mattered. She was all he could see…Only one thought kept swirling through his mind, heart and soul…

_She's beautiful…_

The raven-haired young man continued to watch in awe at the sight that greeted his eyes, as two words came out of the silver-haired girl's lips, two words, two words full of meaning, two words of pure honest feelings, two words which penetrated through to the very depths of Severus' heart.

"Thank you…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter up I guess. Well, I must admit it's not really easy writing this kind of stuff, especially if you want it to have a little bit, or a lot of everything, including action, suspense, romance, mystery, etc. etc. etc. Still, I'm sure writers like myself do so, because they enjoy the difficulty.

Anyway I hope you enjoy reading this one.

Later then. ^_^ Oh, and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year people ^_^


	19. CHAPTER 17

**CHAPTER 17: FIRST LESSON**

Monologue

(Ilya POV)

To say that Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya was happy to hear such words would be an understatement. The girl was touched…the girl was overjoyed…

It had been a long time since she felt such happiness, not since everyone she cared for died. She loved them, she loved her friends, she loved her family, she loved her brother. They were, after all the ones who saved her, from the many long years of agony and suffering, alone.

At first she was just testing him, to know what he was really after. She wanted to pressure the raven-haired boy (and Ilya was rather skilled at psychological warfare), to force him to confess his true intentions.

_I want power, _Sev declared_._

Upon hearing this, Ilya was saddened.

_He's just like everyone else,_ the white-haired girl thought upon hearing his answer.

Her first thought was to leave him, leave the raven-haired boy. Ilya did not like being used, not when she spent more than half of her life being manipulated by her grandfather as nothing more than a puppet to further his objectives.

She would not put up with it. She did not want to become anyone's tool. She will not teach Sev. She will not have part in any of this mess, the Dark Lord Voldemort, or whatever his name was, can either conquer the world or die and go to hell, it didn't matter to her either way. She wanted to be out of it.

But then she remembered, the time she spent with her friend, and the strange dream…

_Flashback_

_(Ilya POV)_

_"SEV!" cried Ilya, as she rushed towards her friend, who collapsed after seeing the mutilated corpses of Death Eaters on his lawn._

_Ilya and the raven-haired boy arrived at their house after the little rescue mission to the Evans'. _

_"Hey, are you all right?"_

_Ilya actually contemplated on dousing the boy with another bucket of cold water, but then, she noticed that his breathing was short, as if he had just run a hundred miles._

_At first she thought that the raven-haired boy was simply in shock from seeing the gruesome sight, and thus fainted. But when Ilya held his wrist to check his pulse, the white-haired girl noticed that it was abnormally weak. Sev was panting. He was sweating, the look on his face is of one who was greatly fatigued._

_Ilya pressed her face against her friend's chest, and noticed that his heart's beat was weak._

_As the white-haired girl further inspected, she noticed one something else, something which would be dangerous for anyone, whether that person was a weak person, or a normal person, or the strongest in existence._

_What Ilya noticed almost made her panic. Sev was low on prana, critically so._

_In her world, the white-haired girl had been in many battles. She had faced and worked together with so many people, mostly magi like herself. Many times Ilya had seen them drain themselves to a point when they would not be able to use magic for a while, and thus disabled. However…_

_None of them had ever drained themselves to a point that the lack of prana and energy would put their lives in danger. They also kept enough in reserve so that they can still escape, or if there was no other choice, used so much that left themselves weak, but enough to keep themselves alive._

_The raven-haired boy, however, used up so much energy in the spell that he used, it was a miracle that he managed to stay conscious all this time. _

_'His body is recovering the prana lost, but it's not fast enough', thought the white-haired girl, feeling really worried. 'At this rate, he's going to d…no! I can't let that happen…'_

_Clasping Sev's wrist with both hands, Ilya began transferring some of her own prana into the body of the raven-haired boy. It was a slow process, as the energy transfer had to be slow and steady, to ensure that the recipient will not go into shock. A few painful minutes passed._

_Finally, the boy's breathing was stable was once again._

_'Thank goodness, he'll be ok now,' thought the white-haired girl to herself, wiping the sweat that formed on her head._

_Reinforcing herself, Ilya then carried the raven-haired boy into the house (in the same way that Sev had carried Ilya caught her from her fall off the roof), up the stairs, placed him on his bed, and watched over him for the rest of the night._

_Ilya remembered the dream vividly, as if she herself had been there to witness it._

_She saw a raven-haired boy, a child, ten or eleven years of age. The boy was crying. He was crying, wailing loudly, as he put a pillow over his head and tried to cover his ears, because he did not want to hear it. Not his own cries, but his mother, crying in pain, as a male voice who could only be his father was shouting, the breaking of china can clearly be heard._

_Not able to take anymore, the raven-haired boy opened his window and jumped out, to escape, even just for a little while, from the hell-hole which is his home._

_The raven-haired boy cried, wailed, shouted, alone, wandering aimlessly through the streets._

_Then, the boy stopped voicing out his sorrow as he saw a girl, a red-haired girl about the same age as the boy running toward him._

_"SEV!" yelled the red-haired girl, who immediately buried her face in the boy's chest. She too, was crying._

_The boy immediately wiped away the tears in his eyes with his elbow,_

_"Lily, what happened?" said the boy in a calm tone, completely hiding the cries and sobs that desperately wished for an outlet._

_"It's Tuney," wailed the red-haired girl, as she looked at the boy in the face, emerald eyes on a pair of black ones, tears pouring down her face. "She s-said I was a f-freak," the girl Lily continued to sob, not even noticing that the raven-haired boy's eyes were also red and swollen._

_"It's okay Lily," said the raven-haired boy In a calm and sympathetic voice to the red-haired girl as he gently caressed her hair to soothe her,_

_Ilya watched, as the raven-haired boy led the red-haired girl to a park, the park where the white-haired girl met the older version of the boy, as Ilya was now sure of who he was._

_The white-haired girl watched as the raven-haired boy pretended to look proud and happy, as he tried his best to cheer up the girl called Lily, telling her about the wonderful things about magic, telling her what he thought was fun, just so that he could stop the tears that were flowing from the girl's eyes._

_Despite his sorrow, despite his own sadness, his own problems, his own fears, his own dilemma, he ignored it. Not having an outlet for his pent-up emotions, Ilya knew that the boy was breaking from the inside, but he hid it, he kept it all to himself, pretending to be strong on the outside when in reality he was breaking apart from the inside._

_And as Ilya continued to watch, the white-haired girl felt a tinge guilt. Guilt, at the fact that she did the same thing the red-haired girl did to the raven-haired boy. Still, Ilya did not know, how could she know, when the broken young man who had been in front of him was already so good and adept at hiding his brittle inner self?_

_'But this girl'…thought Ilya._

_There was no doubt in her mind that the red-haired girl could tell exactly how the boy was feeling. Even though Ilya was at a distance, even though she was just a watcher, a spectator, she could tell. Without a doubt, the white-haired girl knew. She knew that the girl called Lily could feel the boy's pain. Lily may not know everything, but she could no doubt feel the sadness her friend was feeling. _

_But she didn't care She only ever saw herself. All the red-haired girl could think about was herself. The raven-haired boy's teenage self told Ilya that Lily was kind, caring, and the best and only true friend he ever had. _

_Ilya saw that it wasn't the truth, not from her perspective._

_She was inconsiderate, she was selfish. Sev was Lily's friend, but Lily was not Sev's friend. It was a one-way relationship._

_As far as Ilya was concerned, true friends share both joy and sadness, good and hard times, together. But all she saw was the boy giving the girl joy, while the girl kept bringing the boy sadness._

_The dream ended in a flash of white light, as the white-haired girl was awoken by the sunlight passing through the window of Sev's house._

_Ilya could have let it pass if the girl didn't know how the boy felt, but the girl knew. It was clearly visible on the raven-haired boy's face, and on his body. The boy had bruises on his arms, undoubtedly done by his father. There was a fading black-eye on his left eye, a sore yellowish-black spot on his right cheek, and his eyes were still a bit swollen from all the crying._

_But Lily did not notice. No. She did notice, but she did not care. She simply didn't care._

_To Lily, the boy Sev was nothing more than a convenient piece of tissue that she could cry on whenever she felt down or lonely. And she has been using him for years._

_Ilya then remembered what Sev had told her._

_"She was the only true friend I ever had," the raven-haired boy sobbed. "She was the only one who stood by me, despite all my mistakes, yet I hurt her. I called her a Mudblood. After all she did for me I hurt her in the end. In the end when she wouldn't forgive me anymore, I told her that she should have been thankful that I ever thought of her being worthy as my friend…when in fact I was the one who wasn't worthy of her… I was the one who wasn't even worthy of being her friend."_

_'No Sev,' thought Ilya to herself. 'You're wrong. You were right about what you told her. She should have been thankful that you ever thought of her as a friend. She was the one who wasn't even worthy of being your friend…because while you were truly her friend, she was never truly your friend.'_

_End of Flashback_

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

It hurt Ilya. The raven-haired boy in front of her told her honestly. He wanted power. He craved it. He wanted it so badly that he would be willing to gamble his own life for it.

Still, the white-haired girl had known the boy for a little while now. It may have less than a month, but living under the same roof, she noticed what seemed like her friend's true nature.

He pretended to be tough on the outside, but he was actually soft in the inside, of that Ilya was sure. Sev acted proud and kind of mean, but in fact he was actually kind hearted.

Which is why the fact that he told Ilya that he wanted power shocked the white-haired girl.

It was not because Sev said it. It was because the raven-haired boy stated it in all honesty, for by now, Ilya could more or less tell when her raven-haired friend was telling the truth. But…

_Something does not seem to add up,_ thought Ilya.

Ilya was upset by her friend's declaration. But there was one thing the white-haired girl needed to know. She needed to know why. Why did her friend seemed to have suddenly changed? Why did he want power? Was she actually deceiving herself all this time? Was what she thought she knew of raven-haired friend nothing but a lie? Was it all fake? Was it all just a show? No, she couldn't have been wrong, could she? Just to make sure…

_I have to ask him why,_ the sentence formed in the white-haired girl's head.

So the white-haired girl asked her raven-haired friend why he wanted power so badly…

Ilya was already sufficiently capable of squeezing the truth out of people. She was already good at it, but being a close friend of Rin Tohsaka, as well as being acquainted with many despicable people from the Clock Tower and the Burial Agency (as well fighting against some wordy-type Dead Apostles and meeting a certain, kaleidoscopic Dead Apostle Ancestor) added a lot to this useful ability. Ilya was skilled in word manipulation. By putting pressure on the raven-haired boy, Ilya would be able to get the truth out from him…

_BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE THE POWER TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU! BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT BY YOUR SIDE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! I HATE HAVING TO WATCH HELPLESSLY IN THE SHADOWS, WHILE YOU GO OUT AND FACE DANGER TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T NEED YOU TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T WANT YOU TO PROTECT ME! I WANT TO BE THE ONE PROTECTING YOU! YOU'RE THE WHOLE WORLD TO ME! I DON'T EVER WANT TO LOSE YOU! I,,,_

And the truth shocked Ilya senseless. It was not what she expected.

_Whaa…whaat did he just say? Sev… he wanted to gain power so that… can…he wanted to protect…whaat?_ thought Ilya, as her brain stopped functioning properly.

The white-haired girl was touched, she had never felt so confused, and at the same time, happy before.

_But then…_

At first, the white-haired girl thought that it might have been Lily Evans he was thinking about, and the thought felt bitter.

_But then again…_

_BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE THE POWER TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU! __**BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT BY YOUR SIDE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE**__! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! I__** HATE HAVING TO WATCH HELPLESSLY IN THE SHADOWS, WHILE YOU GO OUT AND FACE DANGER TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T NEED YOU TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T WANT YOU TO PROTECT ME! I WANT TO BE THE ONE PROTECTING YOU!**__ YOU'RE THE WHOLE WORLD TO ME! I DON'T EVER WANT TO LOSE YOU! I,,,_

The white-haired girl, though still confused, noticed something in the raven-haired boy's honest declaration, words that couldn't possibly apply to the red-haired false friend...

_No, Sev wasn't talking about her,_ Ilya realized, as happiness welled in her heart. _He was really talking about me!_

As Ilya managed to regain her composure, she realized she had found someone, someone who truly cared for her, someone who wanted to stay by her side.

Not knowing what else to do, Ilya did the only think she could think of at the moment, for Sev, the boy who truly wished to protect her and keep her safe… two words straight from her heart…

"Thank you…"

She wasn't alone anymore. She now had Sev. She now had a friend. She now had someone who was like family.

This time, however, something was different. For her it was the first time, in her twenty-four, almost twenty-five years of existence (even though her body was that of a fifteen year old soon-to-be-sixteen physically.), that she had felt this way about someone.

Her servant Berserker, who in a way had been like family to her, then her brother Shirou, then Rin, then Saber, then Sakura, Fuji-nee…friends…family... She had a family. Ilya was important to them, and they were important to Ilya. They worried and cared for her, and Ilya worried and cared for them back.

Ilya realized, that the raven-haired boy felt the same way as they did, in a way, as the white-haired girl now realized.

_Sev worries about me, Sev cares for me,_ thought Ilya. _But…what was he about to say before he regained control of himself?_

For some reason, despite the happiness she felt, Ilya felt disappointed. Somehow she felt that there was something Sev did not tell her…something he managed to prevent himself from telling her… something Ilya had been unconsciously expecting him to tell her…something Ilya hoped and wished he would tell her.

Ilya did not yet understand exactly what it was, but she felt that there was something different…she wanted that something else…for the first time…she wanted more…not just a friend, not just a brother, not just a family…

_Still, this is enough for now,_ thought Ilya, telling herself a half-truth, half-lie…

End of Monologue

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

Severus Snape had finally managed to get his brain functioning again.

At first, to say that he was confused would be an understatement. After shouting angrily as loudly as he could at Ilya, logically speaking, he expected the white-haired girl to cry, feeling sad, hurt, betrayed. He expected her to be furious, to even blast him with magic, to hurt him badly, before leaving him for good, though Severus was sure Ilya would never kill him. (_She could kill me easily if she really wanted to though,_ thought the raven-haired boy with a shudder.).

He was feeling guilty, he was feeling nervous. He had expected the worst. Instead…

_"Thank you…"_

The girl smiled. After what he did, the girl actually thanked him.

Severus was confused. He was missing something. Therefore, he calmly collected his thoughts and tried to recall what could have been the possible reason. And then…

_BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE THE POWER TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU! BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT BY YOUR SIDE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! I HATE HAVING TO WATCH HELPLESSLY IN THE SHADOWS, WHILE YOU GO OUT AND FACE DANGER TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T NEED YOU TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T WANT YOU TO PROTECT ME! I WANT TO BE THE ONE PROTECTING YOU! YOU'RE THE WHOLE WORLD TO ME! I DON'T EVER WANT TO LOSE YOU! I,,,_

_I see… _Severus calmly thought to himself, as he remembered the words he yelled aloud._ That's probably why…_

"And so, that is why you will need the jewel on which your energy on…" a female voice was saying.

"WHOAAAAAAAAAA!" the raven-haired boy couldn't help but shout.

"Hmm?"

_Merlin! What the hell? What the hell was I saying? _thought the raven haired boy.

"Sev?"

He was once again disoriented, having difficulty processing the memory.

"Sev?"

_No, it can't be. There's no way I could've have said that. Or could I? Wh… _

In an instant Severus felt his cheeks being painfully picked on by a pair of white hands.

"OUCH, what did you do th…" but then the raven-haired young man froze, as he looked into the face of the one who brought him out of his reverie.

Ilya was staring at him with cold emerald eyes.

"Waaaa…I'm sorry…I…what was…" the raven-haired boy stammered, shivering under the state.

_I must have been ignoring her again, _thought Severus. _But normally she would yell at me until her voice runs out..._

Severus thought that he would have preferred Ilya shouting at him, rather than looking at him in a way that made him feel like he could get killed at any moment.

"You were not listening," the white-haired girl was saying in her 'Professor Emiya' voice. "You did not hear a single word I said, did you?"

"I'm sorry," said Severus sincerely. The white-haired girl was once again using her monotonous, teacher tone (although the raven-haired boy could feel her irritation to the fact that he was distracted). Still, despite the aura emanating from Ilya, Severus thought he could feel that the girl was a bit more warm than she usually was when she was in lecture mode. Then again…

He was thankful that there was something to distract him from his earlier, confusing, uncomfortable thoughts. The raven-haired boy will just delve on it later. For now, he had to focus.

"Very well, then," said Ilya. "I will repeat what I was saying a while ago. After that, we will start with the first step. If you end up dying because you failed to listen, you only have yourself to blame."

Severus gulped.

"As I told you a while ago," Ilya began. "The backwards thinking in your magical education has caused a number of setbacks. One of these setbacks is related to the magic circuit."

The white-haired girl took a deep breath and continued.

"Because of your overreliance in the use of the wand, which acts like an extension magic circuit, the magic circuits in the body of witches and wizards remain undeveloped. Those who can use wandless magic may or may not be utilizing their circuits, this I have not yet confirmed…but I am sure that if they do, then they utilize only one or two, and that circuit probably remains almost underdeveloped."

Severus merely nodded.

"Now, then, for our first lesson" said Ilya, and Severus felt the tension in the air. "We are going to awaken your dormant magic circuits. Tell me when you are ready."

Severus gulped (_This was it, _thought the raven-haired boy.), then closed his eyes, as he (with difficulty) shut away all other thoughts in his head, what happened earlier, the fact that the white-haired girl was beautiful (he felt himself blushing at this) and everything else. Finally…

"I'm ready," said the determined raven-haired young man.

"Now, then, Sev," said the white haired girl. "First, I want you to focus your magical energy. Focus it at the tip of your index finger if you like, any finger will do."

"Just focus?"

"Yes."

"Without a wand?"

"Yes, just do it."

The raven-haired boy then imagined himself preparing to cast a spell…He could not see anything, but he could feel the magical energy building up. Then, he thought he saw an almost invisible faint whitish-blue light near his index finger.

"Now, then," said the white-haired girl as if she noticed what was happening. "Using the mana you have accumulated, cast a spell?"

"What?"

"Just do it," said Ilya. "And refrain from talking, you might lose your concentration."

The raven-haired boy fully focused his attention to the task at hand, then…

_"Wingardium Leviosa!"_ he cried, pointing his hand at a piece of log.

To his own amazement, the log rose a few feet into the air. He couldn't stop himself from saying it aloud.

"I did it! Did you see that, Ilya?" Severus said in his excitement. "I managed to cast wandless magic."

"Congratulations, Sev," said the white-haired girl, and although her voice was still monotonous, a small smile flashed across her face momentarily, before her face turned back into its serious, almost emotionless look. "However, do not lose your focus. We are not done yet for the day. Still, at least now I was able to confirm another bit of information. It is possible for you to cast your spells without a Mystic Code or magic circuit, as long as there is prana."

Severus nodded, as he once again prevented his mind from thinking of stray thoughts (Severus actually wanted to ask Ilya what a Mystic Code is).

"Do not forget the steps, and the feel of it," said Ilya. "You can follow the same steps for any spell you want to cast without a wand. And the more you practice, the faster you will be at casting it."

The raven-haired boy nodded again in response.

"However, I must ask you," the white-haired girl said. "Did you feel where the magical energy you used came from?"

"Yes I did," responded the raven-haired boy. "Some of it seemed to come from my body, while some of it seemed to have come from the air around me."

"I see," said Ilya. "Then you can passively manipulate both mana and od. That is a good sign. Now then, remember the jewel I made you swallow a while ago?"

"Yes," Severus replied.

"Can you feel it?"

"Yes."

The white-haired girl crossed her arms.

"Now then," said Ilya. "I want you to focus your prana, or in other words magical energy, like you did a while ago. Focus it on the jewel."

This time Severus decided not to ask questions. He merely nodded and started focusing his magical energy on the jewel. Soon, the raven-haired boy could feel a warm sensation from within him.

"Now, Sev, I want you to focus on the jewel and imagine it as a switch which you are about turn on," said the white haired- girl. "It could be a gun trigger, or a radio being tuned in to your favorite station, or a television being set at your favorite channel, or a light being turned on or off, anything will do, anything that can be turned on, preferably anything that can follow the on and off concept. I'm sure that whatever image it is, it will come naturally to you."

Severus tried to think of what could be a good on and of switching concept…then it came…a stove he was about to light to be brew his potions…

"Now, then, I want you to imagine yourself turning it on," said Ilya,

His concentration better than ever, Severus followed the white-haired girl's instruction.

Severus imagined himself igniting fire on the stove…

And then found himself flung into a world of pain…

It was painful. It felt like every single nerve in his body felt like they were on fire, were being ripped apart to tiny little shreds. It was almost unbearable.

Severus, as a prank by Lucius, had been placed under the Cruciatus Curse before. It was immensely painful, but it was nothing, compared to what he was feeling right now. It was like comparing being bitten by a mosquito and being thrown into a wheat thresher on a burning furnace.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Severus screamed. Screamed as he had never done before in his entire life. He screamed as he felt like every single part of his body was being torn apart by something like a hurricane…

As he was about to lose consciousness from the pain, Severus thought he heard someone. It was distant, but the raven-haired boy thought he could hear a female voice yelling at him.

"SEVVVVV!"

The last thing he saw was a silver-haired girl running toward him, her face full of panic and worry, tears forming around her eyes…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Well, another chapter out I guess (Though I think I made a bit like another cliffhanger). To be honest, I've been doing a bit of review on the Type-Moon Universe. Yeah, I looked for the werewolf concept there (The Golden Wolf Ancestor Thing), and since it doesn't suit my taste, I decided to make the werewolf in the my story different from it. Since the HP universe only describes it (lycanthrope) as a curse which forces wolf transformation during the full moon, then I think I can do that (though I'm still thinking of what to add). One thing that's for sure is that the werewolves in my story will at least have a vibe or feel similar to the Dead Apostles in the Type-Moon Universe, though as to their level of power (meaning the strongest werewolf. I haven't established yet if it should be Greyback or if I should make an OC), well that's still to be decided.

Also, I almost got the prana-mana-od thing mixed up. I've been used to using the word prana for mana and at least I got my usage of od correct. However, as both mana and od are forms of prana, the word prana can be used to substitute for either of the two…

As for the updates, well, Christmas Vacation's about to end, and since I both work at office and taking my Master' Degree, well, I'll at least try and have this updated once a week.

Still, if something I think is good comes to mind, I write it down at once or else it will vanish into nothingness.

And one more thing, I hope you don't ridicule my attempt at romantic and lovey dovey thoughts and moments, both physical and mental. That has never really been a forte of mine so I apologize to those who read and find it corny. ^_^

Later then….


	20. CHAPTER 18

**CHAPTER 18: REALITY MARBLE**

(Severus POV)

_The raven-haired young man was confused. He did not know where he was. The last thing he remembered was looking at a white-haired girl's worried face, while his body was in unthinkable pain._

_He was standing in the middle of a plain. It was a vast, empty land with nothing in it, except for the short, green, grass that covered the entirety of the landscape._

_The raven-haired young man felt powerful gusts brew all around him. White clouds were drifting swiftly across the blue sky, revealing and covering the sun high above in successive intervals. There was no place to run to, no shelter, no hiding place from the wrath of the elements. In an exposed field like this, everyone would be at the mercy of the wind._

_Then, Severus saw a huge whirlwind form, heading straight for him. He tried to run, but the strength of the gusts had already lifted him off his feet. Knowing he could do nothing else, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, in an attempt to protect his head and body, as the twister lifted him higher and higher, in an upwards spiral…_

"Sev...wake…up…Sev…please…wake…up…" cried a female voice.

Suddenly his eyes shot open, and looked straight into the face of a teary-eyed Ilya.

"Thank God! Thank goodness, you're alright! I'm sorry…This is all my fault…I should never have…I thought I've lost you.." stammered the white-haired girl, as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, tears flowing down her eyes, face buried in his chest, and soaking the raven-haired young man's clothes with it.

Severus actually had a half-mind to get away from the white-haired girl, as he felt himself blushing from the sudden display of affection. Still, he decided against it…

"Shhhh…it's okay…I'm alright…it's not your fault…I'm okay…I'm fine…everything will be all right," said Severus gently to Ilya, as he carefully wrapped one of his arms around her, while using the other to gently stroke the girl's hair, and Severus was thankful that the white-haired girl seemed to be slowly calming down. Still…

_Was…I…dreaming…I must've been…but…it seemed so real… like it wasn't real but at the same time it was…_ thought the raven-haired boy, as he pondered upon the mysterious vision he had just experienced.

In truth, the raven-haired boy's body was still in pain. It was not as bad as it was a while before, but it still really hurts. Normally, for Severus, it would still be just as bad as a Cruciatus Curse being continuously cast on him. However, for some reason, the pain was numbed, and his brain processed it as nothing more than a weakly cast Stinging Hex.

The dream he had experienced had felt so real. He could not tell for sure, it may be because he messed up on the lecture instructions Ilya gave him that he went through the experience, or the pain caused him to hallucinate.

But there was one thing he knew for sure. Whatever the place he saw in his dream was, it seemed so familiar, as if he had known it all his life all along.

_Where and what exactly was that place?…_ pondered the raven haired young man to himself…

**-BREAK-**

Monologue

(Ilya POV)

Ilya had already expected this. She had already half-expected something like this to happen when she decided to teach her friend Sev about magecraft.

Ilya had seen Shirou several times in training before. While Ilya had rarely seen her brother scream (Athough she did see him scream several times on other occasions, including one when Ilya set Berserker loose on him and Saber, with Berserker smashing him with his club, and ripping Shirou's guts out, but that was before they bonded.), knew that he was always in a lot of pain when in training, although she had never seen him scream in agony. But that was because his magic circuits (The same ones that now reside as part of Ilya's own circuits) were already awakened and trained by the time they met. The red-haired boy was already used to the pain, and thus could keep himself in check.

As for Ilya, her circuits were already active the moment she was born. It was still incredibly painful, but she was still able to endure. She had screamed so many times in agony before because of the pain, and one of the worst pains she had to endure was when she was Berserker's Master, in which she had to keep all of her magic circuits active to maintain Berserker and his Mad Enhancement.

In Sev's case, however, it was his first time opening his magic circuits. And it was the first time Ilya had seen someone do so in front of her.

Ilya knew the procedures, step by step. She had heard about it. There are several ways to activate a dormant magic circuit, and the best she knows about it was what she learned from Rin (even her cruel grandfather never let her delve on the subject, since her circuits were already active.). Still, she made sure she has placed the necessary safety precautions, (which, of course, included activating the circuits using a jewel as an on and off switch.).

Despite all this, however, Ilya expected that her friend would probably expected extreme pain, as well as the possibility of Sev losing his life. From the magus perspective, that was to be expected. If he lives, then fine. If he doesn't, then it's also fine. Those who use magecraft are aware and have always lived with death always by their side after all.

But all her thoughts, beliefs, and principles as a magus, all of them, went out the window, the moment Ilya saw that the raven-haired boy had started screaming, as the prana he concentrated on the jewel forcefully opened any and all potential magic circuits he had.

Ilya had foreseen something like this coming, so she was prepared. She knew what she had to do. She managed to keep her head in light of the situation. But while she successfully completed the process in saving her raven-haired friend's life…

She was unable to contain her emotions. What happened was her fault. She knew it, she knew what would happen, but she kept on reassuring the raven-haired boy, that nothing of the sort would happen to him if he followed her instructions to the detail.

_It's my fault…it's my fault…I lied to him…_thought the white-haired girl, as she sobbed.

Despite everything though, the raven-haired boy never blamed him. Sev, after all, wanted to become stronger, not for his own sake, but for the people he cared for, and Ilya was happy to hear that she was one of those people. He was willing to risk his life to do so but…

_I'm happy he wants to protect me but…I don't want him to get hurt because of it…I'm happy he's willing to risk his life for me but…I don't want him to die…_ thought Ilya to herself.

Ilya found herself in a dilemma. At one hand, she was happy, but on the other, it made her worried sick. Still…

_It's what Sev wants,_ sighed Ilya to herself. _I'll just have to make sure he gets stronger without ending up dead…_

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

Now that the white-haired girl had regained her composure (Although she was still on the verge of tears, and she actually did end up crying again when the raven-haired boy woke up.),, she now took a look at the situation from the magus' perspective.

_Well, at least one of the trickiest parts is over,_ thought Ilya.

While the raven-haired boy was unconscious, she took the opportunity to check on his status. After Ilya finished casting healing and painkilling spells, Sev was finally stable, and his life was no longer in danger. Therefore, as his teacher, she did some examination…

And if not for the fact that she had been too worried for her raven-haired friend to think of anything else, she would have been shocked senseless by what she found out.

_He has a Reality Marble?...No way…it can't be…impossible…_ thought the white-haired girl.

Reality Marble. It is an inner world which resides in a magus' soul. This world can be brought from out from within in the form of an ultimate Bounded Field, in which it will rewrite Reality itself in accordance with the magus' heart.

It is mostly known only in theory, however. There are only a very few who ever managed to achieve such a magecraft, even among the Dead Apostle Ancestors, some of the strongest beings in existence in Ilya's world. Even the most powerful magi, even those who can perform one of the Five True Sorceries (Ilya, who was formerly a living vessel for the Holy Grail, could actually perform the Third Sorcery if the right conditions are in place), did not manage to achieve it, as well as unable to determine if people had one or not, unless they use it.

Ilya, however was an exception, because she had seen someone with a Reality Marble, had seen that someone use it, and now that particular Reality Marble is now part of her soul.

Unlimited Blade Works. Infinite creation of swords. It is a barren world where there is nothing but swords. Blades of all kinds, from mere kitchen knives to legendary weapons exist in this inner world. Once Ilya glances at something which falls under the category 'sword,' she is instantly able to recognize it, its composition, its structure, its history, everything about it. Any sword she sees is automatically recorded in the Reality Marble. The white-haired girl can also analyzed shields, but it takes longer to fully do so, as well as it costs three times as much prana than swords. Still, Ilya's prana supply is near limitless, and the only problem is that she still easily gets tired if she used too much Projection.

Because of her familiarity with it, Ilya immediately suspected that Sev had a Reality Marble. However, something else happened which fully confirmed her suspicion.

Ilya had been inspecting the raven-haired boy if he had managed to awaken any of his Magic Circuits. The white haired girl noticed that they had appeared on his body. (_Strictly speaking, the Magic Circuits reside within the magus's soul and what is found on the body is just a physical expression of them that stretches itself throughout the body in a fashion similar to the nervous system_**-taken directly from Type-Moon Wiki.**)

The white haired girl investigated and noticed that Sev had forty circuits in all, the same number as Rin and Sakura. However, as she was prying further…

Ilya suddenly found herself in immense pain. It was painful, it was excruciating, but she had endured much worse pain before, so she managed to restrain herself from screaming…

Then the white-haired girl found herself on a plain, where there was nothing except grasses, and strong winds dominated it. However, there was something strange about the open field and the winds blowing. It felt like something she should know of… something very familiar… and then she realized…

The prana signature the plain and the winds were emitting, it definitely belonged to her raven-haired friend…

Soon, however, she was awakened from the vision, just in time to see the raven-haired boy stirring and then opening his eyes, and for a while she let herself be distracted, as Ilya allowed her emotions to overwhelm her, relieved, that her friend was okay…

End of Monologue

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

Ilya now had an important decision to make. At first, she wanted to keep certain things hidden from the boy for the time being. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell him about it all at once, and thought it might be good if she taught Sev, one slow step at a time. However, it would not be fair to the raven-haired boy, who had not kept anything hidden from her when it came to teaching Ilya about their magic. True, Sev admitted he was not an expert, but he taught her without holding anything back.

Therefore, as a teacher and as a friend, it was Ilya's responsibility to tell her raven-haired friend all that she knew, especially since it concerned something directly to the boy, and it was actually magic as well, and a part of him. And also…

Ilya remembered how Shirou was able to unlock his abilities. It was because Rin's Servant Archer taught him, and Archer…well… as Ilya found out, Archer was actually Shirou's future self, or possible future self, the embodiment of his heroic ideals. At first Archer wanted to kill his younger self, to be able to create a paradox strong enough so that he could end his own suffering and existence as a Counter-Guardian. However…

_Flashback_

_(Ilya POV)_

_Ilya watched as her brother and the knight clad in red argue with each other inside of the shed where Shirou practiced his magecraft. Initially the Servant had been emitting a murderous killing intent. He was prepared to kill the boy at any moment, if his younger self said anything that would upset him, but then…_

_"What did you say?" said the red knight, Archer, the embodiment of Shirou Emiya's ideals, in a voice that carried surprise._

_"I said I don't care if a hundred, a thousand, or even if a million people have to die," declared his younger self._

_"Tch. I thought you just told me that you are going to save everyone, and if you can't you will try to minimize the casualties if possible?" mocked the red knight._

_"Of course that's what I will do," replied the red-haired boy honestly. "But if saving countless thousands means that I'd have to sacrifice Rin, or Ilya, or Saber, or Sakura, or Fuji-nee, or Issei, or Ayako, or any of the people I care for, then like hell I care what happens to them."_

_Archer was silent for a while, clearly shocked, as he saw the determination and resolve in his younger self's eyes…_

_"Tch! You really are a hypocrite after all," said Archer in his usual falsely cheery cynical tone. "You'll do everything in your power to try and save thousands, but you'll betray them and slaughter them all without hesitation if it means you will be able to save your loved-ones, that's what you're saying right? Playing favorites?"_

_"Yeah I am a hypocrite," replied Emiya Shirou, honestly and unwaveringly. "And if you put it in those terms, then, yes, I am playing favorites.I know that I'm being selfish, but I don't really care. I want to save as many as I can, but I will prioritize saving those who are important to me, even if it means sacrificing the rest of the world. Do you have any problems with that?"_

_"You know what kid?" sighed Archer. "I guess that's what I should've done from the very beginning. I sacrificed thousands of people to save many more thousands. I killed one to save ten, ten to save a hundred, a hundred to save a thousand. And among those I killed were people who were dear to me…" _

_Ilya could feel the sadness and regret emanating from the Servant._

_"All right then, kid," sighed Archer again, apparently resigning himself to the situation at hand. "I'll help you with your training…just don't blame me if I accidentally kill you… Servants are summoned to kill other Servants and Masters after all, and you, are not, my Master."_

_He was still talking about killing his younger self, but Ilya could tell that Archer had completely dropped the idea, because for the first time, Ilya saw a small smile grace Archer's lips, not his cynical one, but a real smile…_

_End of Flashback_

After thinking about it for a little while, Ilya had come to a decision.

_I will tell him,_ thought the white-haired girl, her decision made.

"Sev," Ilya called to her friend. "I believe that we have rested enough. Let us continue…"

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Wha-what, you mean right now?" asked Severus, feeling shaken.

It had only been an hour since he woke up. According to Ilya, he had only passed out for around thirty minutes, which means…

"We're not yet done for the day," said the white-haired girl in her 'Professor Emiya' voice.

"Are you serious?" inquired the raven-haired boy incredulously.

"Yes, I am," replied Ilya.

_Oh, dear Merlin,_ thought the raven-haired boy to himself.

Severus was feeling a lot better now. Ilya had actually used over half an hour healing his body as well as she could. However…he was tired, exhausted…he was still spent.

"Um…Ilya," Severus began in a pleading voice. "Let's stop for now, I don't think I'll be able to do anything more today." _I doubt I'll be able to survive another experience like that,_ added Severus in his thought.

"No, we shall continue," denied the white-haired girl.

"But," began the raven-haired boy.

"Do not worry, it might be a bit painful, but I'm sure it won't be fatal," said Ilya in what Severus was sure she thought was an assuring voice.

The raven-haired boy knew better. After what he had experienced, his Slytherin instincts told him not to trust the girl's words this time. However, for some reason, he could not help but trust Ilya, he could not refuse…

"Fine," sighed the raven-haired boy. "But I'm not sure I'll be able to do anything much in my current state."

"Let's begin then," said Ilya in a monotonous tone. "This will be the last lesson for the day. After that, you may rest, and then you will begin your running exercise exactly at four o'clock like scheduled..."

"What?" said Severus, exasperated.

"…as well as all the stretching and lifting exercises, which I rescheduled for after your jog," finished Ilya, ignoring his reaction.

_This is too much. This is like martial law! This is torture!_ thought Severus bitterly, but he had no time to delve on it, and decided to put away his thoughts to focus on the task at hand.

"Now, then Sev," said the white-haired girl. "What I want you to do is to focus. Look inside yourself. Try and visualize the Magic Circuits in your mind."

"What, but how do I do that?" said Severus, confused.

"Just do it," said Ilya.

"But I don't how…" said Severus honestly.

The white-haired girl sighed a bit, as if a little disappointed.

"I'm sorry," grumbled Severus. "But I don't really know how to do it."

"A while ago," began Ilya. "You managed to visualize the jewel in your mind, right?"

"Yes," said Severus, as he remembered that when he focused on the jewel it did appear in his mind, exactly as it appeared before he swallowed it.

"Focus on it," said Ilya.

Severus nodded, and focused on the jewel. It was easier now than before.

"Now, I want you to focus your magical energy on it, and release it in your body like you did a while ago," said the white-haired girl.

"What?!" Severus couldn't help but be alarmed. "But…"

"Don't worry, it will be fine," said Ilya, and Severus noticed that for a moment she dropped her teacher persona, her emerald eyes locked on his black ones. "Please trust me."

Severus could see that the white-haired girl was worried about him. The raven-haired boy was afraid, but he knew that he would make no progress if he wasn't willing to learn and take risks, he had already done that after all. However, the most pressing reason is that…

_There's no way I could refuse when she looks at me like that,_ sighed Severus inwardly.

Thinking that it's okay if things get worse, since Ilya was there to make sure he survived after all and even without that factor, Severus couldn't refuse Ilya when she was asking him to trust her), Severus did as he was instructed.

Once again, he closed his eyes, the image of the jewel forming, and focused magical energy on it. Then, he imagined himself lighting a stove…

Severus half-expected to feel excruciating pain once again, but this time…

True, there was continuous pain, but it was quite mild, like being subjected to a very weak Cruciatus Curse, but even a punch would be more painful. After what he had just been through, the pain was nothing. But what surprised the raven-haired young man the most was…

"What in Merlin's name?" Severus couldn't help but gasp at what he visualized in his mind.

Before, Severus was only looking at the jewel, imagining it, but now, there was something else that appeared, which the raven-haired boy did not actually bid his mind to make them.

There were lines, lines, in an array, glowing with in a bluish-white tinge.

Severus opened his eyes. He could feel a tingling sensation continuously flowing all over his body, as if his nerves were mildly on fire, but it was bearable.

The white-haired girl was looking at him gently.

"Does it hurt?" she inquired in a worried voice.

"Just a little," Severus replied. "But I've been through worse…much worse…"

"I see," said Ilya, and her voice was now back in her teacher persona. "Did you see them?"

Severus nodded, realizing that Ilya really was worried. The second question is normally what any teacher would have asked first.

"Can you still see them?"

"Even with my eyes open?" said Severus, and he realized what Ilya meant. "Yeah, I guess, I can still see them in my mind."

Ilya nodded, then began her lecture.

"Those lines that you see, they are what you call Magic Circuits," the white-haired girl began. "They are what magi like myself use to cast spells. In your terms, they function like a wand."

Severus nodded to indicate to Ilya that he understood.

The white-haired girl continued.

"The main difference is that Magic Circuits are like the wand which are part of wizard's body. No… sorry…they only seem to be part of the wizard's body. If you channel enough prana , or magical energy into your circuits, you will be able to see them."

At this, Severus noticed that Ilya activated her own circuits, as greenish-white lines were appearing all over her body.

"However, the lines that appear on your body are not really your Magic Circuits, for the Magic Circuit reside within the magus', or wizard's soul. What is found on the body is just a physical expression of them that stretches itself throughout the body in a fashion similar to the nervous system."

"So they're not really there, on the body, I mean?" Severus asked.

"That is correct," nodded the white-haired girl. "Now, Sev, do you remember what I taught you about turning on your Magic Circuit?"

Severus nodded.

"Now, I want you to turn it off."

"Turn it off? How?"

"Just think of the reverse process of the trigger you used," replied Ilya. "While it is true they will turn off on their own if the magus faints, or if the energy placed runs out, it is still best to know how to turn them off consciously. If, for example you overload your circuits with magic, you can cut off the power when you wish."

"Overloading the Circuit?"

"Yes," said the white-haired girl, more seriously than scholarly. "And if you damage your Circuits, they cannot be repaired. Remember that they are part of your soul."

Severus closed his eyes, not needing any more explanation, once again seeing the bluish-white line array clearly. The raven-haired young man imagined turning off the stove, and the lines faded into blackness.

Silence reigned for a while. When Severus opened his eyes, he saw Ilya smiling at him.

"Congratulations, Sev, you have successfully completed the first step to becoming a magus," the white haired girl said sincerely.

The raven-haired boy did not know how else to react, feeling embarrassed, (and flustered at Ilya's pretty face.). There was only way he knew how,

"Thanks," Severus replied meekly. In all his years at Hogwarts, he had always been looking for recognition. He wanted it badly, and he was all puffed up like a hot air balloon whenever Lily or a teacher praised him, and would normally brag aloud, at the top of his voice. But for some reason, all that pride had left him. Right now, he was simply happy, really very happy with the fact that it was Ilya praising him.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

It was now almost one o'clock in the afternoon. Severus and Ilya had just finished eating lunch on the yard (The white-haired girl had actually packed juice and sandwiches, even though they were just at the house, and they ate as if they were on a picnic.)

"Now, then Sev," said Ilya, in her 'Professor Emiya' persona. "There is one more matter I would like to discuss with you."

"Hmmm?" inquired Severus. He thought that the lesson for the day was over, that Ilya would teach him a magecraft-based spell the next day.

"Do you remember that I told you something about the Five True Sorceries of magi?"

"Yes, I do." Severus replied. "But you did not explain to me what they were."

"I will in due time," replied the white-haired girl. "But they are not that relevant, since they are not something I am able to utilize, and therefore I will not be able to teach you."

Severus merely nodded.

The white-haired girl continued.

"Those who practice magecraft like myself, however, delve on many other forms of research and study. One of them is studying what many refer to as the Sixth Magic, since it also one of the pinnacles of magecraft. It is called a Reality Marble."

"Reality Marble?" Severus asked, interested to know more.

Ilya took a deep breath and continued.

"A Reality Marble is the inner world which resides in a magus soul. It is a rare ability, and as far as I know there have been less than five magi who had one."

"I see," nodded Severus.

"Yes indeed, it is powerful ability, and a magus who has one can bring it out into the world, rewriting reality itself for a short duration, usually depending on the magus' prana supply."

Severus nodded again.

"That is basically what a Reality Marble is, an inner world, and you, Sev, you possess a Reality Marble."

Severus was about to nod again when…

"What?" said Severus, managing to keep his voice down despite the shock.

"Yes, Sev, you have a Reality Marble, and you must've had it ever since you were born."

"But what is it? What does it do? Since I was born? How is that even possible? How can I use it? Why do I have one? Wh…" Severus found himself unable to stop asking questions.

The white-haired girl cut him off through a loud fake cough.

"I think it would be better if I just showed you, Sev," said Ilya quietly. "You must, however, promise me never to tell anyone about this. Sev, do you promise?"

The raven-haired boy couldn't help but feel excited. From the sound of it, it was a new spell.

_Not tell anyone huh? _ thought Severus. _You don't have to worry about that, Ilya. I have no one left to tell anyway. And besides, even if I was still friends with some of the Slytherins who did not know what I did, I'll never tell them. I wouldn't tell anyone, not even Li…_

Severus suddenly cut off his thought, feeling pain from the memory. But it wasn't as painful as it was before. The wound on his heart was still there, but it was starting to heal, and it felt like the gaping hole in his heart no longer exists. And the raven-haired boy knew that he would never have the heart to betray the white-haired girl who was the reason behind it.

"I promise," Severus said sincerely.

The white-haired girl then bowed her head as if in prayer, and started chanting.

**I am the bone of my sword…**

**Steel is my body and fire is my blood…**

**I have created over a thousand blades…**

**Unaware of loss…**

**Nor aware of gain…**

**Withstood pain to create weapons, awaiting one's arrival…**

**I have no regrets. This is the only path…**

**My whole was….**

**UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS**

Suddenly there was a blinding flash of white light, which made Severus close his eyes.

"Sev, this is what you call a Reality Marble," he heard Ilya speak.

The raven-haired young man opened his eyes, and the sight that greeted him…

_WHAT THE? WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN IS THIS?!..._

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Here's another chapter people. Hope you like it. Oh... and advanced Happy New Year!


	21. CHAPTER 19

**CHAPTER 19: TRUE FEELINGS**

Monologue

(Severus POV)

It was the 26th of August, 2 o'clock in the morning.

It's been almost a month since Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya first came into his life. Although they first met under not-so-good circumstances, Severus felt that the two of them had formed a strong bond of friendship. At first, he was uncomfortable with her presence, mainly because of the fact that save for her silvery-white hair, she was the very mirror-image of Severus' former best friend Lily Evans, and that brought back a lot of painful memories. Even their emerald eyes were identical.

In the time they spent living under the same roof, the raven-haired boy found out so many things about his companion. She was a powerful and talented witch, or magus, as she called herself. She was a good cook, as well, and also really skilled at repairing many things.

Ilya, like any typical girl, have different mood swings from time to time. Normally she appears innocent, immature and childish. When irritated however, she would throw one hell of a tantrum that render the raven-haired boy helpless, and boy, does she have a short fuse. At other times, however, she seemed so mature, especially when she was either teaching magecraft to Severus (including forcing him to do strenuous amounts of exercise) or when she was studying the raven-haired boy's type of magic.

The most important thing of all that Severus noted, however, is the fact that Ilya was a kind-hearted person. She may seem a bit spoiled at times, but she was really friendly, and she used her repairing skills to help out people, and they loved her for it. Sometimes when Severus was out on an afternoon walk or running exercise, he would sometimes see Ilya repairing a broken radio, or fixing a car for neighbors and passers-by.

And as time went by, the fact that Lily and Ilya looked so much alike became less and less relevant, and by this point in time, it no longer mattered to the raven-haired boy. They had been through a lot together, including facing off against powerful werewolves and Death Eaters. As far as Severus was concerned, Ilya is Ilya, and that's the end of that.

**-BREAK-**

However, there was something that was greatly bothering the raven-haired young man…

_Flashback_

_The white-haired girl then bowed her head as if in prayer, and started chanting._

**_I am the bone of my sword…_**

**_Steel is my body and fire is my blood…_**

**_I have created over a thousand blades…_**

**_Unaware of loss…_**

**_Nor aware of gain…_**

**_Withstood pain to create weapons, awaiting one's arrival…_**

**_I have no regrets. This is the only path…_**

**_My whole was…._**

**_UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS_**

_Suddenly there was a blinding flash of white light, which made Severus close his eyes. _

_"Sev, this is what you call a Reality Marble," he heard Ilya speak._

_The raven-haired young man open his eyes, and the sight that greeted him…_

_'WHAT THE? WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN IS THIS?' thought Severus, too shocked and dumfounded to utter a single word._

_He was standing in the middle of what appears to be a hill. The soil was white in color, and it made the hill look as if it was completely covered in snow. _

_White clouds covered about a quarter of the sky, hiding the sun from view, giving the heavens a gentle blue appearance, and the full moon's grayish daylight time silhouette could be seen near the horizon._

_ A bluish-white flame seemed to encircle the area from the distance._

_And then…_

_There were blades, so many of them that were stuck to the ground. No, the entire landscape was littered with them. Blades, swords, knives, daggers, scythes, spears, so many different kinds, so many varieties, so many in fact that it would have been impossible to count…_

_End of Flashback_

After showing Severus one of her most secret magic abilities, Ilya began explaining how it works, the Reality Marble she called Unlimited Blade Works, infinite creation of swords…

She also explained that Severus had a Reality Marble himself, although she was certain its ability was different from her own. She then started a long discussion talking about the elements, origin, and other information basic for a magus.

At the end of the lesson, she advised the raven-haired boy to focus more on wind-based spells, because as she discovered, Severus' Elemental Affinity was Wind. Ilya also said that if the raven-haired boy trained hard enough, given enough time, he will also be able to manifest his Reality Marble and bring it out into the real world as she did with her own.

At the time, Severus was excited, really excited that he will learn something new, for it was in his nature to want more information, especially about magic.

Awe…excitement…amazement…adrenaline…sheer thirst for knowledge…learning for learning's sake… Severus' desire were partly anchored on these emotions.

Now however…

_'Like hell that matters…_' thought Severus. '_Not after knowing what I now know… not after what I've seen… not after what I've discovered…not anymore…'_

**-BREAK-**

On the night of the 25th of August, Severus found it very difficult to fall asleep. True he was extremely tired, and his body aches a lot (After his body was subjected to the excruciating pain of magecraft training, then being forced to do physical exercises afterwards.), and normally he would have fallen asleep immediately, but he was excited. Ilya said that she will be teaching the raven-haired boy Reinforcement on the morrow, and therefore the adrenaline kept him awake.

Finally, after what seemed to Severus like forever, he fell asleep…

_He was standing inside an unfamiliar building. Not knowing where he was or what was going on, Severus decided to take a look around._

_It was a lot like normal house, except for a few things. The floor was made of wood. The doors were sliding doors. There were tables in what he guessed as the dining room, but they were low, and there were pillows neatly arranged around it, in the place of wooden chairs._

_"I'M HOME!" shouted a familiar, cheery voice._

_Severus spun around, and saw a white-haired girl. The words he heard were actually unfamiliar to the raven-haired boy, but for some reason he understood what she said. _

_There was no doubt about it. It was Ilya, looking almost exactly as she did in real life, with her emerald green eyes, except that her silvery-white hair was slightly shorter than it was in the present._

_She was wearing a red coat over what looked like a black blouse or shirt, her skirt length reaching slightly below the knee. She wore black socks, with matching grey sneakers to boot, and she was carrying grocery bags._

_As the white-haired girl passed by, Severus decided to follow her to the kitchen. There he saw the girl preparing dinner, as the slowly darkening orange sky outside the window indicated the time. Ilya was humming to herself as she prepared the meal. _

_Severus couldn't help but stare at the white-haired girl, who had taken off her coat and was now wearing an apron. He had seen her cook at his house before, but he just couldn't help but admire the white-haired girl's skill in the kitchen. She was proficient with all the cooking tools, especially the knife, slicing the meat and vegetables with fine, elegant cuts._

_After a while, the food was prepared, and Severus watched as the girl placed six set of plates, cups bowls and utensils on the low-height dinner table. He guessed that there were other people who lived in the house, it was actually thrice as big as his own, after all. Perhaps Severus will be able to get a glimpse of Ilya's family. However, instead of spoons and forks, chopsticks were placed. Severus knew what they were, as he had once read about it in a Muggle magazine._

_'This house must be either Chinese or Japansese,' thought Severus._

_The raven-haired boy watched as the girl carried out casserole from the kitchen and placed them at the middle of the table. Ilya opened a drawer, and took out five, square wooden objects. Then, she carefully placed them on makeshift pillows-as-chairs, one each, removing her apron before she herself sat down on one._

_"Thanks for the food," said the white-haired girl, putting her palms together. Then, she split the chopstick into its two pieces, then began to eat._

_Minutes passed…_

_Severus gaped in wonder, as Ilya continued to eat._

_"I'll be taking seconds then," said the white-haired girl, as she opened the rice cooker and filled herself another bowl of rice._

_'I thought there were other people coming,' thought Severus, puzzled._

_"You know, I'm really sorry Rin, but I don't really like Western Style food," said Ilya cheerfully, as she served herself another bowl of stew. "But at least this way, there's less chance you'll overeat and get fat."_

_Taken by the white-haired girl's words, Severus looked around to see who she was talking to, but the raven-haired boy could not see anyone else in the dining room aside from Ilya._

_Puzzled and confused, Severus decided to take a seat on one of the pillows. However..._

_"And Fuji-nee, don't bother complaining that my cooking's not as good as Sakura or Brother. With that appetite of yours, you'll eat just about anything. So just be a good Tiger, and eat," said the white-haired girl in a sweet, happy voice, as she got another bowl of rice._

_To say that Severus was shocked would be an understatement. He was frozen, paralyzed…_

_On the pillow was not a piece of wood, but a picture frame, in an upright position. It contained a photograph, of a brown-haired woman, with a stern but kind face._

_"Oh, and Sakura, don't bother trying being modest. I know for a fact that you eat at least twice a much as Rin does," said Ilya cheerfully._

_Recovering from his initial stupor, Severus checked the rest of the makeshift-pillows-as-chairs…_

_A purple-haired girl with a kind and lonely smile on her face…_

_"You should really follow Rin's example, Sakura, at least she's got more self-control than you."_

_A black-haired girl with bluish-green eyes, with a serious expression…_

_"Oh, and Saber, even if you stay quiet, I know that's already your fifth bowl of rice."_

_A petite, blonde girl with cold green eyes…_

_"Oh, yeah, Shirou, I remember I made a chocolate sundae just for you…I actually hid it near the ice box, hopefully Tiger did not manage to find it, just a minute…"_

_Ilya stood up and headed for the fridge…_

_"I know I put it in here somewhere," the white-haired girl was muttering._

_The raven-haired boy was in shock. He was frozen. He did not know what to do._

_"I'm back! Here you go brother," said Ilya, placing the glass with ice cream on the table._

_A young man with red-orange hair, with a kind and sincere smile on his face…_

_"Hmmm? You don't want it?" asked Ilya, sounding disappointed. "Well, if you don't want it then I'll eat it. There's no way I'm letting Saber have it!"_

_ The white-haired girl then snatched the glass of ice cream, then sat down and began to eat it._

_"You know what, Shirou?" said Ilya, as she put the glass down on the table, eating only a spoon of the content. "I think you were right not to eat it. I should have just given it to Saber..."_

_…_

_"…it's salty."_

_Severus had never felt so helpless in his entire life, being able to do nothing but watch._

_The white-haired girl had now filled her bowl with rice for the fourth time._

_"I guess you never should eat dessert before finishing your meal first…" said Ilya cheerfully, ignoring the tears that trickled down from her eyes while keeping a smile on her face._

_"Now even the rice tastes salty…"_

**-BREAK-**

When the raven-haired young man woke up the next day, he discovered that he had been crying.

"Just a dream…it was just a dream," Severus whispered into the early morning darkness, desperately trying to convince himself...

But he knew, somehow the raven-haired boy knew, that what he saw wasn't a dream. He knew…

"No, that wasn't a dream," whispered the raven-haired young man to himself. "It definitely wasn't a dream…it was memory…Ilya…"

Severus quickly put his hand over his mouth, as he almost wailed loudly. What he had seen. What he now knows… he wished it wasn't true…

But it was true. No matter how much the raven-haired boy tried to deny it, no matter how much he argued with himself that it was just a dream, his heart told him, without a doubt, that all that he had seen were true…

Suddenly, an unbidden memory entered Severus' mind…

_Flashback_

_It was winter. The trees seemed as if they were not alive, leafless, stiff as stone. Cold wind swept through the terrain, chilling everything in its path. There was no warmth. There was no joy. The forest was like a frozen hell._

_In the middle of the forest, was a child. She was small, skinny, with silvery-white hair, and ruby-red eyes. _

_The girl was alone, freezing. No fire was burning to keep her warm, her thin white dress cannot possibly defend her from the cold. Her feet were cold, for she walked barefoot. She was dragging with her a huge stone object, which was shaped like a giant club, which was more than twice the girls' size, and the effort undoubtedly caused the girl additional immense pain._

_The girl was panting. The girl was breathing heavily. she wanted to cry out for help, but somehow she did not, for she knew that no one would come to save her._

_The girl walking towards a clearing in the forest, where the snow-covered land was flat, where the girl would be more vulnerable, where the weather, the wind, would be at its most merciless. The girl started shoveling away snow, with her frail white hands, until there was a patch of land free of it._

_The white-haired girl held out a small knife, and cut herself in the wrist, blood trickling down._

_The cries of wolves could be heard in the distance._

_The ruby-eyed girl was shivering ceaselessly, both from the cold, and from fear of the creatures. _

_The white-haired girl, about to be devoured by wolves, unprotected, vulnerable, helpless…_

_End of Flashback_

The raven-haired man did not know why he was sure, but he was definitely certain. The frail girl in that frozen hell… it was Ilya…

Severus had not given the vision of the frozen forest much thought for some time now. But now, for some reason, he remembered the dream vividly.

If Severus had been like he was before, while he was not a cruel person by nature, the first question that would have entered his head would have been _How did she survive? _Right now, however…

_Why? Why did she have to go through something like this? How could anyone be so heartless to abandon her in that frozen hell? How could they? How can people be so cruel? How can fate be so cruel? _thought Severus bitterly, not noticing the tears falling from his eyes.

Severus found it hard to describe the feeling of sorrow and sadness that now filled his heart. All he could do was stop himself from crying loudly, but he was unable to stop the tears from falling…

He thought he had it the worst. He thought he was the most miserable person in existence.

Severus had a broken home, a broken family. Being poor would never have mattered if he had a mother and father who loved him.

The raven-haired boy cursed, and cursed, and cursed at the world, blaming it for his misfortunes, blaming it for all the horrible things that happened to him. If it had not been for Lily, he would probably not have been able to forgive the world…

As he pondered on these thoughts, another memory reasserted itself in his mind…

_Flashback_

_"Severus… too unpleasant," pondered Ilya. "I know! How about I address you as Sev instead?"_

_The name triggered something in Severus' brain to snap._

_"NO, YOU CAN'T!" shouted Severus on reflex._

_"Huh," said the girl in surprise. "But why it's a nice name."_

_"I SAID YOU CAN'T CALL ME THAT, SO YOU CAN'T," yelled Severus, unable to control himself._

_Moments of silence, which felt like hours, fell between them. Thunder can be heard rolling, as the sky outside was starting to grow dark, as if to match the mood._

_"Get out," said Severus Snape in a low voice._

_"Wha…" started the girl._

_"I SAID GET OUT!" roared Snape. He dragged her towards the door, pushed her outside, and slammed the door on her face._

_End of Flashback_

Back then Severus felt bad for what he did to the white-haired girl. Ilya wasn't at fault. It wasn't her fault that she looked like Lily. It wasn't her fault that her voice sounds like Lily's. It wasn't her fault that she had eyes like Lily's. And it certainly wasn't her fault that she wanted to call him in the same way as Lily.

Right now, however, after finding out about so many things, he felt much worse than he did before…

Then another thought entered his mind…

_Flashback_

_"What do you mean you don't have one?" asked Severus, knowing that he will probably not like the answer he will hear._

_"I don't have a home," she said simply._

_"Surely you must be joking. Your family is probably really worried about you by now. I think you should…" Severus began, but Ilya raised her hand to stop him from talking._

_"It is as I said," she said in a quiet, but clear voice. "I don't have a home. I don't have a family, although I had one before, but it's gone now." Severus remained silent, transfixed. "My mother, my father, my brother, my friends, everyone in the world who ever loved me, everyone in the world I ever cared for, dead," she finished._

_End of Flashback_

Ilya had told Severus this once before. She once had a family, parents who truly loved her, a brother who would do everything to protect, friends who would always stand by her, but now…

_They're gone…_thought Severus, his mind and heart still shaking in turmoil from the heavy emotions. _Everyone she ever cared for is gone._

Severus never knew exactly what it was like, to have a family that truly loved him. The only person closest to one he truly had was Lily Evans. It was painful for the raven-haired boy when he left her, she was the only one like family he ever had. It was painful that Lily left him, painful that Lily abandoned him, but…

Ilya knew it would be much more painful for him if Lily died…

_That was why…that was why she wanted to go and save Lily… she did not want me to go through what she did…_

Yet another memory crossed Severus' mind…

_Flashback_

**_I am the bone of my sword…_**

**_Steel is my body and fire is my blood…_**

**_I have created over a thousand blades…_**

**_Unaware of loss…_**

**_Nor aware of gain…_**

**_Withstood pain to create weapons, awaiting one's arrival…_**

**_I have no regrets. This is the only path…_**

**_My whole was…._**

**_UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS_**

_End of Flashback_

Severus remembered what Ilya told her. A Reality Marble is not only an inner world, it also reflects a magus' heart.

He now remembered what it was like. It was not the presence of countless swords that bothered him.. It was the sadness present in the air of her inner world.

A deserted, lifeless world, where there was nothing but loneliness, with only swords for company…

**-BREAK-**

Severus saw more flashes of memory, flashes of what happened in the last month, but there was one memory that materialized which overrode the rest…

_Flashback_

_There was Ilya, staring straight at him. Her face with a red tinge, illuminated in the morning sun…her eyes closed to shun away the sunlight…her clothes and silvery white-hair hair flowing gently in the breeze…_

_She was smiling…the most beautiful smile the raven-haired boy had ever seen on her… the most beautiful smile he had ever seen his entire life…and she was smiling at him…smiling for him...she was smiling because of him…_

_"Thank you…"_

_End of Flashback_

Severus remembered it clearly. Despite everything that had happened to Ilya in the past, despite everything she had experienced, despite her suffering, despite her sorrow, despite her regret…

_"Don't worry," the silver-haired girl was telling him gently. "It's okay. Your sadness… Your sorrow... Let it all out…I'm here for you…_

_'Ilya…she did everything she could for my sake… she even went out of her way, risked her life to save Lily…for my sake.' _thought the raven-haired young man_. 'And yet…'_

_"Thank you…"_

_'After everything she's done for me… I've never done anything for her that's even worthy of thanks,'_ thought Severus.

**-BREAK-**

The sky was no longer a midnight-blue color. It was now early morning, dawn will soon be at hand…

Severus continued dwelling deep in his thoughts…not with his mind… but with his heart.

Finally, he wiped out the tears from his eyes, and walked towards the window, resolve written all over his face.

Severus now remembered it clearly. When Ilya had asked why he wanted power so badly, he now completely remembered the answer he gave…

_"BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE THE POWER TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU! BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT BY YOUR SIDE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! I HATE HAVING TO WATCH HELPLESSLY IN THE SHADOWS, WHILE YOU GO OUT AND FACE DANGER TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T NEED YOU TO PROTECT ME! I DON'T WANT YOU TO PROTECT ME! I WANT TO BE THE ONE PROTECTING YOU! YOU'RE THE WHOLE WORLD TO ME! I DON'T EVER WANT TO LOSE YOU! I,,,"_

Yes, these were his true and honest reasons. In the past, he had wanted power badly as well. He wanted it so badly that he was drawn towards the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters. He craved it, he desired it, for all the wrong reasons… no, without even a clear reason…

Now, however, if possible, Severus craved it even more than he had ever had before… but now his way was clear, his path was set… Now, he will be able to move forward…

What he told Ilya was the sincere and honest truth.

"I want the power to be able to protect you," Severus repeated what he declared before in a whisper. "I want to be able to fight by your side…I don't want you to be alone…I don't want you to die…I hate having to watch helplessly in the shadows, while you go out and face danger to protect me…I don't need you to protect me…I don't want you to protect me…"

Severus took a deep breath, then recited again…

"I want to be the one protecting you, Ilya…You're the whole world to me…I don't ever want to lose you…"

The sun has risen. Dawn has come. And as the first rays of sunlight went through his window, he said in all honesty what he managed to restrain himself from telling the white-haired girl.

"…it's because **I love you.**" Severus whispered onto the horizon.

End of Monologue

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another Chapter Out. Hope you enjoy it.

Later then people...


	22. CHAPTER 20

**SPECIAL CHAPTER**

**CHAPTER 20: MERRY-GO-ROUND**

**STORY 1: WIND**

August 27, 1976, 3PM

(Severus POV)

"Just do it," said Ilya in her monotonous voice.

It is 3 o'clock in the afternoon. After two days of training, Severus is now able to effectively use Reinforcement, although he is still unable to do so effectively on anything aside from his own body. For Severus, it was fine for now, as he did have the _reparo _spell in case he needed something broken fixed.

Right now, Ilya is making him focus on utilizing his elemental affinity with wind.

According to the white-haired girl, it would be best if Severus would focus on improving wind-based spells. So now…

_Ignite,_ thought the raven-haired boy, as he closed his eyes. Severus had now associated the word with his mental trigger, using it to make the process of activating his Magic Circuits faster.

The raven-haired boy could see it in his mind, as an array of lines began to glow in a bluish-white light. Gradually, the amount of magical energy accumulated, and when he thought he had gathered a sufficient amount…

_"FLIPENDO!"_ shouted Severus, as he flicked his index and middle finger together in the same motion as he would his wand.

This is a particular spell which the raven-haired boy invented. It creates a wall of air which blows towards and knocks down the target, or if the target is too heavy and strong, or the spell was too weakly cast, knocks them back a few meters.

When James Potter managed to get the grasp of the spell Severus created, he made a mockery out of it, by using an extremely weakly cast version of it, to flip up skirts, targeting in particular, (The raven-haired boy grimaced slightly as he recalled.) the skirt of his former best friend Lily Evans.

This time, however…

"KYAAAAAAA!" screamed a cute, feminine voice.

"ILYA!" cried Severus.

Severus made two mistakes.

First, he did not control or calculate the amount of magical energy he placed into his spell. Therefore, instead of just a powerful wind hitting its target, he created a small whirlwind.

Second, Severus did not take into consideration where to aim his spell, and he accidentally sent it at Ilya. The white-haired girl was now caught in the middle of the wind's vortex.

Fortunately, the raven-haired boy managed to regain enough of his wit, as well as still having enough prana to cast a sufficiently strong cancellation spell.

_"FINITE INCANTATEM!"_ Severus shouted.

Finally, the wind died down. Fortunately, it was not that strong, otherwise the roof of Severus' house would have been blown off. However, the raven-haired boy was really worried about something else…

"Ilya! Are you all right?" cried Severus, as he rushed towards the white-haired girl. "You're not hurt are you?"

"No, it okay Sev, I'm fine," replied the white haired girl. "I'm just feeling a little dizzy."

"I'm really sorry Ilya," said Severus sincerely, his voice resounding the guilt he felt, as he held out his hand. "Here let me help you get u…"

But the raven-haired man suddenly froze, as he got a clear view of the white-haired girl.

"Thanks, Sev," said Ilya. "It really wasn't your fau…"

The whirlwind, thankfully, did not inflict any injury on the white-haired girl. However…

"KYAAAAAAA!" screamed Ilya again in a cute voice, covering her body with her arms, as she quickly fled towards the house, slamming the door behind her.

The spell did a number on Ilya's clothes. Her blouse was completely gone, and her skirt was in tatters, her white undergarments, semi-transparent, clearly visible…

Fortunately, the cloaking spell of the Bounded Field was always active whenever Severus and Iya were training, so nobody else would've seen..

Meanwhile, Severus just stood there, stiff as a statue, not noticing the blood dripping from his nose, his mind still fixed on the seductive image of the white-haired girl, and something else stood up…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," said Severus in a pleading, sincerely apologetic tone, for the tenth time in the last thirty seconds, still wiping the blood from his nose with a handkerchief.

_This is a disaster_, thought the raven-haired boy, as he feared for his own safety. Having lived under the same roof for almost a month, he knew just how terrifying the white-haired girl could be. Fortunately for him, however…

"No, it's okay Sev," said Ilya in her 'Professor Emiya' voice. She had now changed into a new set of clothes, since the other one was stripped off h… cut up by Severus' spell.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Severus worriedly. Thankfully, Ilya did not seem to be angry, and was still talking in her teacher persona. However, the raven-haired boy was afraid that Ilya might have been injured in some way.

"Yes, I'm okay," replied Ilya conversationally, stretching one of her arms as if to demonstrate that she's fine and that there was nothing to worry about. "Anyway Sev…"

"I know," replied Severus automatically. "It's almost four o'clock, it's time for my jog, right?"

In the past few weeks an afternoon run around the neighborhood had become part of the raven-haired boy's daily schedule, and he had been accustomed it…

"No, not this time, Sev," said the white-haired girl monotonously.

"Huh?" asked the raven-haired boy puzzled.

Suddenly, Severus' body reacted, as if on reflex, and dodged to the left, just as a black ball of light missed him by inches.

"Well, done," said the white-haired in her monotone. "As I said, you will not be doing running exercises this afternoon. Instead, we will test out how well you have improved your physical abilities, as well as the level of your Reinforcement. We will have your first lesson on experiencing what it is like to be on the battlefield. Do not worry, I will be reducing the power of my Gandr shots to a bare minimal."

Severus gulped, unable to say a word, unable to accept, unable to refuse. He just remained silent.

What Ilya said was logical. The raven-haired boy, after all, had been training his body physically, and there had already been a number of improvements. His skin was less pale now, and his muscles that weren't there before were developing. Also, it is better to have some simulation before the real thing. After all, Ilya as well as Severus knew that the Dark Lord would probably come after them eventually. However…

Severus also remembered that Ilya had just attempted a surprise attack on him, as well as the fact that that particular surprise attack, which Ilya claimed was at a bare minimal, left a nasty scorch mark on the wall of his house. Also…

_That smile… oh no..._ thought Severus to himself, every real nerve and Magic Circuit in his body tingling with panic and fear. The raven-haired boy had seen that particular smile on Ilya's face a number of times before…and it did not bode well…especially for him…

"Now, then Sev," said Ilya, her voice now eerily cheerful, as she raised her arm. "Hold still…I mean try and dodge as well as you can…"

"He-hey! Wait a min…" Severus stammered, but the white-haired girl ignored him.

"Begin."

_DEAR MERLIN!_ thought Severus, as he dodged left and right, avoiding the barrage of black lights that the girl was sending at him.

Severus thought it wasn't possible. He thought it would never happen. But for the first time in his life, Severus was actually thankful for the fact that the Marauders existed.

Thanks to them, especially James Potter and Sirius Black, Severus was somewhat used to sneak and multiple attacks. Because his body was weak before, his body could not keep up with his instincts, but now that he had built it up the results were paying off…

And Severus was just thankful for the fact that the white-haired girl wasn't trying to kill him.

_And if Ilya really wanted to kill me,_ sighed Severus inwardly, as he dodge another Gandr shot that was aimed for his face_. After what I saw… any other girl who can do what Ilya can would have made swords rain down on me by now…_

* * *

**STORY 2: GHOST**

August 27, 1976, 4PM

(Ilya POV)

Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya was wandering aimlessly around the neighborhood. She had given up on trying to locate Sev, who managed to escape her, and must've used a Disillusionment Charm to conceal himself. While in normal circumstances Ilya might have been able to spot him, she wouldn't be able to in her current state of mind. She just hoped that the raven-haired young man was really doing his scheduled afternoon jog like always. It would be for his own good, after all.

Ilya had now been able to calm herself, and therefore she was now more logical. However, in her mind, she was still fuming, because…

_My dress… it's ruined…_thought the white haired girl bitterly. _I know it was an accident… I know Sev didn't mean to… but that doesn't change the fact that it's ruined…_

Yes. Ilya, like every other girl, loved to pick clothes to wear, and take very good care of said clothes, treating them preciously. She had already managed to collect a nice set, but as a collector, it still hurts when you lose one of your precious collections, especially in such a manner.

Ilya didn't actually blame Sev. In fact, she was not angry at him for what happened. She wasn't even angry at the fact that the raven-haired boy had just seen her with nothing but her underwear on. In fact, she would have only been too happy to show Sev had he asked (The white-haired girl blushed at the thought.). However, one of her favorite dresses had been torn to shreds, beyond repair, and that made Ilya furious.

Although Ilya wasn't angry at the raven-haired boy, it did not change the fact that she was angry, and she needed an outlet. Therefore, since Sev was in close proximity, she vented her anger out on him.

Now, the problem was that although her fury had now been diminished somewhat, there was still some (meaning a lot) left. She needed an outlet, and fast…

"WAAAAAAAA" wailed little girl with light blonde hair. "MOMMY…DO WE REALLY HAVE TO MOVE?"

"I'm sorry, dear," said a nice-looking lady, who was definitely the child's mother. "But we just can't stay here anymore. The ghost just won't go away. Even the priest couldn't do anything. There's nothing we can do…"

"Um, excuse me, Madam?" said Ilya inquiringly. "But did you say that there is a ghost in your house?"

"Yes, child," said the woman sadly. "It's been about three weeks ago now I think, when it suddenly appeared."

"What does this ghost look like?"

"It's really scary, my dear," replied the middle-aged woman gently. "It would be better if you didn't know the details."

"But I want to know," replied Ilya in a sweet, slightly disappointed voice. "Please Madam."

"Alright then, child," she said.

And the middle-aged woman started talking about a ghost with its head severed from its body, wearing a black cloak, its skull for a head with a hood, that started haunting their house and telling them to leave.

"I see," nodded Ilya. "Would it be okay if I invited myself into your house for a little while? I might be able to do something about that ghost."

"Okay then dear, but I don't know if there's anything you can do to help dear," said the motherly person. "I've called in exorcists and priests from different religions but they couldn't make it go away."

"WILL YOU REALLY MAKE IT LEAVE? WILL YOU REALLY MAKE IT GO AWAY?" cried the little girl to ilya. There was no doubt in the white-haired girl's mind that she doesn't want to lose her home.

"Don't worry about it," said Ilya, smiling gently, as she gently stroked the girl's blonde hair. "I will make it go away."

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"BOOOOOOO," growled a voice that it apparently thought would frighten the white-haired girl. "Leave..this…place…at..once…or…suffer…my…wrath… BOOOOOOO!"

_Well, this is something new,_ thought Ilya to herself, feeling amused.

In front of Ilya was the figure of a man, like in the fake magic tricks Las Vegas magicians use. It was pearly white and glowing, and it was juggling its head as it laughed like a demon.

In response, Ilya decided to yawn. Her action made the ghost drop its head, as it floated independently from the main body.

"What, are you not afraid of me child?" asked the spectre.

"Ummm...noooo…why?" inquired the white-haired girl.

"Then, I will make you FEAR ME!" shouted the ghost in the most horrible voice sound it could produce.

Ilya watched, as the ghost, who she now recognized as one of the Death Eaters killed by her Bounded Field, did a lot of interestingly difficult and amusing acrobatic stunts, including using its head as a top and a volleyball.

It was true that Ilya had never actually seen one before. She had been near some spirits before, and one of them even tried to possess her. However, all of them had remained invisible, unable to project the form they originally had in life. They only ever managed to manifest themselves in dreams.

The closest thing to the ghost in front her Ilya had seen were Servants, and they, while spirits, actually had a physical body.

The one in front of her however, did not.

"Hey, could you at least try and throw something at me, like a knife for example?" Ilya called to out to the ghost. "I'm getting bored here."

The ghost paused for a while…

"What did you say?" it asked.

"I said throw something at me Hmmm…oh, don't tell me you can't?" mocked the white-haired girl.

The ghost appeared shocked by her words.

_Just confirmed it, he can't,_ smirked Ilya to herself.

"YOU…WILL…PAY…WITH…YOUR…LIFE." it said in desperation, trying to make itself sound as frightening as possible. Then, it launched itself towards Ilya.

Ilya did not know what would happen if this kind of ghost got close to a person, but she automatically assumed that it was probably trying to possess her. Although Ilya knew she could experiment and let it try, confident that she was too strong for it, the white-haired girl decided not to take chances.

"Trace, on…" said Ilya, and in her empty hands appeared two daggers. Black Keys, weapons used by the Church, effective against spirits, Dead Apostles, and demons.

The Death Eater's ghost immediately backed away as its ghostly instincts sensed the aura emanating from the weapons.

"WHO ARE YOU?" it roared in anger.

"Who am I?" said Ilya quietly. "If you must know, I am the one who killed you."

Silence reigned for a while. Then….

"HAHAHAHA," the ghost laughed. "Now that's a funny one, child. You, kill me? Do you even know who I am? I am a…"

"…Death Eater," Ilya cut off the ghost, as its floating head gasped in surprise. "I am a Servant of Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark Lord who ever lived...You were about to say something like that, right?"

"Just who are you?" the ghost asked again, but this time its voice was soft, a mixture of anger, fear and curiosity in it.

"You really want to know, spirit?" said Ilya once again in a quiet voice. "My name is Lily Evans."

Suddenly the ghost took a closer look at Ilya, as if seeing her for the first time, and Ilya could tell that the spectral eyes behind the mask of the floating head were wide with shock, as if something suddenly clicked from its memory.

"Lily Evans?" the ghost gasped. "You were the one at Diagon Alley?"

Normally Ilya did not like giving credit to someone she dislikes, but in this case, using her name would add more impact, and add to Ilya's amusement.

_Now, to add icing to the cake, _smirked Ilya to herself. "Trace, on…"

The white-haired girl then Projected the exact same swords she had placed together with her Bounded Field, making it seem like they appeared out of thin air.

A look of mixed rage and horror filled the spectre's eyes, as it recognized the very weapons that took away its life.

"YOU FILTHY LITTLE MUDBLOOD!" the ghost screamed. It was about to launch itself at Ilya again, but realized that it couldn't move, as a glowing blue circular line had formed around it.

"Yes, me," smiled Ilya sweetly. "I am Lily Evans, the filthy little Mudblood. The filthy little Mudblood who humiliated you at Diagon Alley, the filthy little Mudblood who made the Servants of Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark Lord in existence, look like a joke, the filthy little Mudblood who made that little trap that you and your two pathetic companions fell for, hook, line and sinker… and now that filthy little Mudblood is going to kill you again."

"Now, that's a really funny joke, you can't kill someone who is already dead," said the spectre, now using its original human voice, although still echoing, trying to mock the white-haired girl. But Ilya could tell that it was shaking in fear.

_A ghost, shaking in fear,_ thought Ilya, feeling amused. _However, it is time to end this…_

"Do you have any last words?" inquired the white-haired girl in a cheerful, mocking voice. "Any message to your two other departed friends before I deal with them as well?" Ilya wasn't sure, but there was the possibility that the other two Death Eaters she killed could have become like this as well.

The ghost, however, could not speak anymore, as the small Bounded Field Ilya cast, meant specifically for trapping and weakening spirits, had already exhausted it beyond the ability to speak.

"None? Very well then," said Ilya, her tone now carrying no emotion, as she focused on the ritual for exorcising spirits, for forcing them to move on to the afterlife, the Baptismal Sacrament.

**I kill, I give life. I injure, I heal. **

**There are none who escape from my hands. **

**There are none who escape from my eyes. **

**May it be so that you are shattered. **

The Death Eater's ghost had now began shaking violently, as it felt the pressure from the chant.

**I welcome the defeated, the aged. **

**Surrender to me, learn from me, obey me. **

**May you be at rest. **

**Do not forget the song, do not forget the prayer, do not forget me. **

**I relieve you of all burdens. **

The ghost was now starting to shake even more violently.

**May it be so that there is no deception. **

**Retaliation unto forgiveness, betrayal onto belief, despair unto hope, **

**darkness unto light, death unto life. **

**May you rest in my hands. Let there be mark of your sins.**

**Eternal life is found only in death. **

**Forgiveness is before you, and so my incarnation vows. **

**"May God have mercy of this soul (Lord, have mercy)"**

As Ilya finished her aria, a flash of white light engulfed the room, as the ghost screamed, flailed and convulsed violently, as it clutched its head, and then… it was gone…

"I hope He doesn't show you any mercy," said Ilya to the ghost, but she knew that it could no longer hear her words…

-**BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"OH THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU MADE THE BAD GHOST GO AWAY!" cried a young girl happily, as hugged Ilya (a choking hug which reminded the white-haired girl of a certain brown-haired girl who gave similar painful embraces).

"It's…no…big…deal," replied Ilya, as she struggled for breath.

"Now, now, Geraldine," said the girl's mother gently, as she took her daughter from Ilya, before addressing the white-haired girl. "We really can't thank you enough for what you've done."

"Like I said, it's no big deal," smiled Ilya. "I'm just happy I could help. If anything like that happens again I'm just around the neighborhood."

"By the way, what's your name, dear?" the blonde woman asked gently.

"Ummm…it's Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya," replied the white-haired girl, surprised that there was someone who ask her her name and not called her Lily. "But you can call me Ilya for short."

"Okay, then Ilya, thank you very much for helping us. We are really grateful for what you've done for us."

"I hope I'm not being rude," began Ilya, her curious. "But how long have you been around in the neighborhood?"

"Oh, we moved here just at the end of last month," replied the blonde middle-aged woman.

"Oh, I see," said Ilya. _So that's why. She is also new here, so she hasn't seen that red-headed bi…girl yet_, Ilya added in her thought.

"By the way Ilya, I have something here which might be to your liking…"

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

Ilya walked happily as she headed for the park where she and Sev always met after his running exercise. The white-haired girl knew that Sev would undoubtedly be waiting for her there, even if the raven-haired boy was afraid of what she might do.

He had nothing to worry about, however, for Ilya's anger had already completely disappated, having vented her stress upon the Death Eater's ghost.

"Wow, this is a really nice dress," chirped Ilya to herself happily, as she looked at the clothes that kind blonde woman gave her. "This must be my lucky day…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Nothing to say, I guess. Just read, as a new chapter's out. Oh, and if you do find some mistakes or if you have some thing to suggest, please do review.

Later then people...


	23. CHAPTER 21

**CHAPTER 21:CONFESSION  
**

"SEV, BREAKFAST IS READY!" called a cheerful female voice from inside the house.

It was the thirty-first of August eight o'clock in the morning. Ever since Severus learned Reinforcement, the white-haired her had been leaving him to study magecraft on his own.

_Flashback_

_It was the 30__th__ of August._

_"Now, then Sev," said Ilya, in her 'Professor Emiya' voice. "I have now taught you the essential basics of my kind of magic, as far as I can tell. My role as your teacher in magecraft ends here for now."_

_"What do you mean?" inquired the raven-haired boy, surprise in his tone. He could not believe his ears. There was a lot more Severus wanted to learn about, including how to shoot scorching black balls of light and setting up Bounded Fields._

_"It means that you will have to do your own magecraft training for the time being," replied the white haired girl._

_Severus was about to say something in response, but the white-haired girl raised her hand to stop him._

_"We have now succeeded in two objectives," said Ilya. "First, and the most crucial of all, is that we managed to awaken you Magic Circuits. Second, we now know that you have an elemental affinity to wind."_

_The white-haired girl took a deep breath, then continued._

_"However, Sev, teaching magecraft on any of the elements is something which I am not capable of doing," said Ilya, her voice honest and sincere. "I taught you Reinforcement because it is one of the basics, and it is the only spell I know which you can learn from me. I'm sorry Sev, but from this point on, you're on your own."_

_"But what about that spell you call Gandr? Sword Projection? And that Bounded Field you put around the house?" inquired Severus. He was feeling rather disappointed._

_"Projection is something I can teach you, but it will be basically pointless," began the white-haired girl in her 'Professor Emiya' voice. "While it is true that I am able to produce near-perfect copies of swords because of my Elemental Affinity, I am unable to do so with anything else. If I try recreating anything else using projection, it will look the same only on the outside, but it will nothing more than a shell. Also, I believe you already have a branch of magic which deal with something similar, called Transfiguration, and even I am amazed with the results when I used it, especially Conjuring, although I have not yet fully grasped its concept."_

_The raven-haired boy nodded, as he realized these aspects._

_The white-haired girl then continued._

_"A Bounded Field, on the other hand, follows a very similar concept to your wards," said the white-haired girl. "This is something you can learn from your Charms subject. And in fact, I am studying your ways of placing protection to territories, and I actually read an interesting one called the Fidelius Charm, which apparently renders an area completely undetectable."_

_The white-haired girl once again took a deep breath then continued._

_"As for Gandr, it will take some time to learn, and I might teach it to you later on," said the white-haired girl. "For now though, I want you to focus on learning spells related to your Elemental Affinity, wind, which unfortunately, I cannot teach you anything about."_

_"How am I supposed to learn then?" inquired Severus, feeling slightly saddened._

_"Well, for starters, you can look up spells in textbooks," said Ilya, and at this, she actually smiled. "And besides, you yourself are already very similar to a standard magus. For one thing, magi normally invents spells and then pass it down to the next generation, and I know for a fact that you have been inventing your own spells, Sev."_

_"What? What do you mean?" The raven-haired boy was stunned. He had not told Ilya about his little hobby yet._

_"Flipendo? Bombarda? Levicorpus? Sectumsempra?" said Ilya, with a note of admiration in her voice. "I've never seen those in the books before… well, I have, but they were scribbled in your handwriting."_

_"But, but… I didn't" Severus began, feeling half-stunned, half-embarassed with the apparent praise he was receiving._

_"Oh, don't be so modest, Sev," said the white haired girl, her tone slightly snappish. "I know you have been making spells of your own. And in case you haven't noticed, all of them have something to do with your Elemental Affinity."_

_A sudden realization came upon Severus. 'She's right,' thought the raven-haired boy._

_"Anyway, Sev, I have one bit of advice for you," said ilya seriously. "When you cast magic, do it wordlessly. It seems that some of your magic spells can easily be copied if the incantation is known. I do not know exactly why, but it is possible to unconsciously grasp the concept and workings of some spells and use it, even if it is not known consciously, and it is easily done if the words are read or heard. Perhaps it is because the words are related to the core concept of the spell, I do not know yet for sure. But I for one managed to cast a number of your type of spells on reflex, simply by knowing the incantation, even before, and in fact even without fully understanding how they worked," the girl finished._

_"I see," replied Severus nodded, keeping a mental note on the 'always cast magic wordlessly' detail. It will definitely help him in preventing anyone (specially the Marauders) from stealing his spells and using it against its inventor._

_"Anyway, Sev…here," said the white-haired girl, as she handed Severus a piece parchment._

_"What is it?" the raven-haired boy inquired, seeing that it was blank._

_"It is your new training schedule," said Ilya. "You will be going back to Hogwarts tomorrow, after all,, and I've made that schedule so that it would not interfere with your other education. To read, continuously supply the parchment with prana. I would advise you though, not to overload it, or else it will burn. You can consider it as another part of your training..."_

_End of Flashback_

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Thanks for the food," said Ilya, as she picked up her spoon and began to eat.

It was now the 31st of August, the day when the Hogwarts Express would take students to the school of witchcraft and wizardry for the new term.

Normally, Severus would have been thrilled to go back. He hated the summer vacations. He hated the fact that he had to go back to Spinner's End, hated the fact that he could not use magic at his house, hated the fact that he even had to go back to his hell-hole of a house, where nothing awaited him but poverty, wretchedness, and the recollection of painful memories. And he hated the fact that he had to leave school, which felt more like a home than his own house ever did.

For the first time in his life, Severus Snape was not looking forward to going back to Hogwarts. In fact, had Ilya not reminded him, he would not have remembered. He had completely forgotten all about it.

In the past month, his house at Spinner's End had undergone remarkable changes. Although its built and interior was still the same, the house no longer felt gloomy. The house, the books, the furniture, well cleaned and well-maintained. There was good food waiting for him during mealtimes. There was also a Bounded Field which protected his house now, and Severus is now able to practice his magic spells without alerting the prejudiced Ministry thanks to it.

However, none of these benefits and conveniences held much relevance, as far as the raven-haired boy was concerned. True, the raven-haired boy like these changes, but the real reason why Severus was not looking forward to going back to Hogwarts…

was because of Ilya.

Severus, had in fact, wanted to talk to the silver-haired girl about it, about not going back. But he couldn't. The white-haired girl worked hard on making a new training schedule him. She had even helped him pack his things. If only he had done it earlier, if only he had remembered earlier. But now, he didn't have the courage to tell the girl, for after helping him with everything, he would sound ungrateful, so he just kept quiet.

His house now felt more comfortable, but Hogwarts was by far bigger and more interesting. The food was good, but the food served by the Hogwarts house elves was also delicious. He could now perform magic at his house, and it now had a good defense against intruders, but these conveniences were also present at Hogwarts, and there he would not have any problem because casting magic would have been completely legal.

No, the real reason why he did not want to go back to Hogwarts because now, his house at Spinner's end truly felt like home. No, it wasn't even the house, the magic, the benefits, it wasn't his home. The honest truth was…

Ilya was his home. It did not matter where they were. It would not even matter if he could not perform magic. Even if they had nothing to eat save for some old cookies, Severus would have still been satisfied, as long as she is there, it will feel like home. For Severus, Ilya is his one and true home.

_I wish I didn't have to go back. I wish I didn't have to leave Ilya behind,_ thought Severus. _Because Ilya…_

Because for Severus, Ilya is his everything. For Severus, Ilya is his whole world. Because Ilya…

**_is the person I love,_** thought the raven-haired boy.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

He was standing on the yard facing the road. The raven-haired young man, in a whim, decided that he would rather take an ordinary bus than travel by Floo to London.

It was now time for him to leave Spinner's End. Severus had been looking for the perfect moment to tell Ilya how he felt all this time, but he just couldn't find one, nor did he have enough courage to do so.

"Sev," said a female voice behind her. Severus spun around to face her.

It was Ilya, her face illuminated in the sunlight, her silvery-white hair flowing gently with the wind. She was undoubtedly there to see him off.

Severus did not even bother to take one last look at his house, for his eyes were fixed only on the white-haired girl, only on the person who made him truly felt like he was home, only on Ilya.

"Ilya…I...I…I…" the raven-haired young man stammered.

"Hmmm?" the while-haired girl mused in an inquiring voice, as she smiled gently at him.

The raven-haired man continued to stammer. There was something that he wanted to say, but he did not know how to say it. He just stood there, frozen.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me?" asked Ilya in a slightly confused and worried voice, having noticed that something was bothering him, looking more radiant and beautiful than ever, more beautiful than anything Severus had ever seen in his entire life. "Sev, you know you can tell me an…mmmm?!"

Without thinking, his mind having completely shut off for a moment, reacting solely on the push of his heart, the raven-haired young man moved towards the white-haired girl and kissed her, a long passionate kiss.

After a while, enough part of Severus' dormant mind had returned, as he slowly broke off the kiss.

"Sev?" asked Ilya, whose pale face now had a bright red tinge on it.

**"I LOVE YOU!"** the raven-haired young man confessed, his heart still dominating his mind. Then, without saying anything else, he turned away from the white-haired girl and ran, as fast he could, so that he would forget the pain of having to leave her behind.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)_  
_

_I said it…I actually managed to say it!_ the raven-haired boy thought to himself. _I finally managed to say it, but…_

Suddenly Severus placed his hand over his mouth…

_I kissed her…_thought Severus, as he remembered how he, without warning, without asking for permission, locked lips with Ilya. _She might hate me now…_

A lot of thoughts passed through the raven-haired young man's head, not even noticing where he was going, each and every one of said thoughts were about the white-haired girl, who had suddenly come into his life, and who he now had to leave behind…

_She'll be fine though…_ thought the raven-haired boy. _She may be a girl, but she's strong..._

The raven-haired man, while still in a daze, had now passed through the barrier between Platforms nine and ten, stepping into Platform nine and three quarters, his body apparently directing itself. The train was already there.

Severus was still occupied with his thoughts, but managed to find himself an empty compartment, where he sat down and looked out of the window absentmindedly.

_She's fine…she's definitely fine…_ thought the raven-haired young man. _Ilya can take care of herself…she'll be fine even if she is left alone…_

Unbidden thoughts and images suddenly flashed through Severus' mind,

_ "I don't have a home…"_

A frail-looking girl, all alone, in a frozen forest...wolves lurking…a cold hell…

_"I don't have a home. I don't have a family, although I had one before, but it's gone now."_

A white-haired girl… eating all by herself… tears falling down her eyes while trying to keep a smile on her face to keep herself from breaking down…

_ "My mother, my father, my brother, my friends, everyone in the world who ever loved me, everyone in the world I ever cared for, dead,"_

The raven-haired young man was awakened from his daze. His senses were back, fear and anxiety for Ilya along with it, as he remembered…

_"I don't know…" said Ilya seriously. "I'm all alone now, so I might as well hang myself or jump off the nearest bridge. Though stabbing myself in the heart or drinking poison are also good options…" _

_…_

_"In fact, I believe that killing myself would probably be the best course of action. I don't have any reason to keep on living, and I prefer a swift death compared to a slow one from depression and starvation."_

_…_

_"Thank you…" said a white-haired girl, smiling at Severus, from the bottom of her heart._

Without another thought, forgetting that his things were inside the train compartment, Severus stood up, his destination set for his house at Spinner's End, where Ilya was…

_What the hell was I thinking leaving Ilya alone!?_ Severus thought to himself. _If anything happened to her, I'll never be able forgive myself!_

But before Severus could so much as open the door of his compartment, it burst open…

The raven-haired boy stood frozen, shocked as he saw, that standing on the doorway…

"You…" said a female voice carrying a note of anger.

Was a white-haired girl, panting, gasping for breath, fuming, at the raven-haired boy.

"You... how dare you… leaving in such a way…leaving me behind…you…you…"

Severus braced himself, knowing what was coming…

"YOU IDIOTTTTT!" screamed Ilya at the top of her voice.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"What, you mean to say you were accepted to Hogwarts?" Severus asked incredulously.

It took a while to calm down Ilya, who kept on screaming at the raven-haired boy for leaving her behind. Severus was forced to cast a Privacy Ward (which thankfully he had just managed to learn the day before) around them to prevent a scandalous situation.

"Yes, I was," said the white haired girl, who was now sitting beside Severus, but still fuming. "I will be starting on fifth year, I think."

"But how?" inquired the raven-haired boy.

"Does it even matter?" the white-haired girl snapped, making Severus wince. "All I know is that you suddenly ran out on me… if I hadn't run into Evelyn I might not have been able to make it in time!"

"Evelyn?"

"Oh yes, she's also starting at Hogwarts this year, first year," replied Ilya, her voice slightly gentler. "Evelyn and her brother Rufus. It was them who showed me how to get to the Platform and onto the train…no thanks to a certain someone…"

"But I didn't know," the raven-haired boy stammered.

"You didn't know?" fumed the white-haired girl. "Didn't I tell you yesterday evening? And I also told you this morning… You didn't even bother to wait for me!"

A painful silence passed between them…

"What do you have to say for yourself, Sev?" said the white-haired, finally breaking the silence. "And where were you about to run off to when I entered this compartment?"

"I'm sorry," said Severus, quietly but sincerely. "I…I really didn't know…I…I was actually about to leave the train and head home…"

"Head home?" inquired the white-haired girl. "But why? You forgot something?"

"Yes, I did," said Severus sincerely. "I forgot something there that was too precious to me, even more precious than my life, for me to leave behind."

"But the train's about to leave," said Ilya. "If it's that important to you…"

"No there's no need for that," said the raven-haired boy, managing a small smile. "That something precious I was looking for, is already here with me."

Another moment of silence passed.

"I see," said the white-haired girl in an even tone, apparently not noticing what the raven-haired boy meant.

Now that Ilya seemed to have finally calmed down, Severus decided to ask about how she managed to get herself admitted to Hogwarts.

"So, Ilya," the raven-haired boy began. "How did y…mmmm?!"

But Severus was unable to finish his sentence, as the white-haired girl suddenly locked her lips with his own, sharing a passionate kiss, as the Hogwarts Express whistled and rumbled, slowly starting to move.

"That was payback for what you did earlier," muttered the white-haired girl, as she finally withdrew from her sudden attack. "You didn't really think I'd let you get away with stealing a kiss from me now, did you? And that was my first kiss too, you know."

Severus just looked at Ilya, unable to speak, all his thought processes at a standstill.

A moment's silence passed, and then…

"Oh, and by the way, Sev," said Ilya, her face red. "You did not wait for me to give a reply to what you told me earlier this morning… I guess you should know…"

**"…I love you too." **

The raven-haired boy could only stare, an unsaid happiness swelling in his heart, as the white-haired girl smiled at him, a smile radiating with joyous acceptance of Severus' feelings. Their feelings were mutual…

Without waiting for him to recover, Ilya had once again locked her lips with the raven-haired boy's…

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN!?" roared a male voice.

Severus and Ilya, half-surprised, and half-irritated that someone had chosen to rudely interrupt them with such timing, broke off, then turned around to see who the intruder was…

Standing on the doorway of the train compartment, with his messy jet-black hair, his hazel eyes wide with shock, beneath a pair of oversized glasses…

was James Potter…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter out, then people... Though seriously as I have a lot of work piling up I might not be able to update this often anymore, though I will try to do at least once a week.

Anyway... HAPPY NEW YEAR! Oh, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. This is actually the end of the first arc which I call the Summer Arc. Next will be the Autumn Arc... Severus in 6th year, while Ilya is in 5th year...

Later then, people...


	24. CHAPTER 22

**CHAPTER 22: ROUND ROBIN  
**

_Flashback_

_(James POV)_

_"Hey there, Paddy," said James Potter to a handsome black-haired boy, as he got into one of their compartments. "Have you seen Moony or Wormy yet?"_

_"Nope, sorry Prongs I haven't," replied his best friend Sirius Black in mock apology, the effect of which was ruined by a yawn. "Haven't seen Wormy, and I'm sure Moony's sitting with the rest of the Prefects, they get a compartment to themselves you know, part of nonexistent school rules and all…though I did see Snivellus sniveling through here a while ago," he added with a dog-like grin._

_"Oh," said James, his hazel eyes brightened, like a child who had just seen one of his favorite playthings. "Do you know where he went Paddy?"_

_"Yeah, I guess saww," replied Sirius, with another yawn. "One of the Prewett twins told me he's somewhere up front putting on the moves on some silver-haired girl."_

_"I see," replied James . 'So now that Lily dumped him he's going after other girls… like anyone would fall for that greasy hair of his', the hazel-eyed boy added to his thoughts with a smirk. "So, want to go and pay old Snivelly a visit?"_

_"Sorry, Prongs," said his best friend, who curled up on his seat like the dog he is, as he gave out another yawn. "Can't…too sleepy…you can go by yourself if you want, pal."_

_"Sure you don't want to come Paddy?" asked the hazel-eyed boy, sounding slightly disappointed. "It would be fun."_

_"I need some shut-eye Prongs," sighed Sirius. "Took all last night to do the damn homework I forgot to do whole summer."_

_"That's too bad." said the messy-haired boy._

_"I'm sure you'll be fine on your own," replied the more handsome of the two. "You could take on Snivelly on your own easily… and without Evans defending him all the time anymore, it will be a piece of cake…"_

_End of Flashback_

The last time he remembered, Lily Evans had already broken all ties with the greasy-haired git. After Snivellus snarled at her with the M-word, even when the beautiful red-head was actually defending him, their friendship completely fell apart. James had even remembered seeing Lily cry in the Gryffindor common room, being comforted by her friends, telling that it was for the best _(Yes it is)_, that it was impossible for a Gryffindor to get along with a Slytherin _(definitely)_ anyway, and that the greasy haired git was evil _(without a doubt)_.

He recalled that Evans had said that it was high-time, that her former friend had chosen his path, and that it was the opposite of hers. James recalled how hurt Lily was, but as far as he saw, the strong-willed girl had already moved on. Now however…

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN!?"

To say that James Potter was disoriented with what he saw would be an understatement. He was furious, shocked and utterly confused, and thus could not help but cry out loud in his unstable state of mind, caused by the sight that greeted him.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

Severus was not pleased. One moment, he felt like he was the happiest and luckiest being on the entire planet, as the love he harbored for Ilya was returned, their feelings mutual. The next moment, however…

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN!?"

In truth, as train compartments were interconnected, it was only natural that people would pass by from time to time to travel from one to another. However, most people would only go so far as to stare, and would at least show a bit of respect to such awkward situations, by keeping their mouths shut. However, there are some who don't, and actually love to ruin such wonderful moments.

As far as Severus was concerned, it was bad enough that someone actually had the nerve to try and ruin the mood. The worse part, however, was the one who did it.

"Potter," said the raven-haired boy quietly, although the snarl in his voice is still noticeable, trying to control his temper as best as he could. "What do you think you're doing?"

Severus tried not to lose control. His short fuse had always been one of his main weaknesses. In the past, it was true that overall, the war between Severus and his Slytherin companions against the Marauders was, overall, a stalemate. However, they had never won any of the 'trash talk wars', as the Slytherins' temper, including Severus' own, was a tad bit shorter than James and his merry gang, and that made all the difference. In a way it was an insult to the House of Snake, who were supposed to be sly, cunning, patient, and calculating, while members of the House of Lions should be more impulsive, and therefore, supposed to have a shorter fuse. However…

"SNIVELLUS! WHAT IN BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO EVANS, YOU FILTHY BASTARD!? GET YOUR SLIMY SLYTHERIN HANDS OFF HER!" the boy with messy hair roared.

Severus knew better. Logically speaking, he knew it was best not to let his anger get the better of him. However...

Having such a good moment ruined in such a way, and by one of the people he hated most in the world, the raven-haired boy knew too, logically, that he had had enough, and wouldn't be able to control himself. Therefore…

"WHY Y…" Severus began, about to stand up and charge at the culprit, but a soft hand wrapped itself around one of his arms, in a gentle but very tight grip.

"Let me handle this, Sev," said Ilya in a quiet voice.

In an instant, Severus felt all the tension drain away from him. For some reason, whenever his girlfriend (Which may have been true for a while already, but had currently been official for only half an hour.) spoke, he felt somehow reassured, that everything will be fine. Still…

_That smile,_ thought the raven-haired boy to himself, shuddering slightly.

For Ilya once again wore a beautiful smile on her face, not her true smile, but a chillingly beautiful smile.

The raven-haired young man would have never thought it possible, but, having been on the receiving end of that particular smile for half the summer (Although this time it was slightly different, much more beautiful and frightening than the raven-haired had ever seen it set on himself. The closest Severus had seen Ilya smile this way was when she was looking at the dismembered corpses of the three Death Eaters her Bounded Field had slain.), he actually almost felt sorry for James Potter, one of the people Severus hated the most in the world. Still...

_He deserves it,_ thought the raven-haired boy, completely forgetting the idea of pitying his messy-haired nemesis.

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

It had been a long time since Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya had felt such joy. No, in fact, it was the first time she had felt this kind of happiness before. Ilya once had a family, people who stayed by her, but they were all dead now. It was hard for the white-haired girl, to lose everyone she ever cared for.

Thanks to Sev, Ilya had been able to slowly move on from the unending pain and sorrow she had to endure. She was not alone anymore. She now had someone who would care for her and stand by her. This time, however, there was something more.

For the first time in her life, Ilya was in love. She was in love with Sev, and by the miracle of it, the raven-haired young man had also fallen for her. Their feelings were mutual. As they were just starting to show their affection for each other, however…

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN!?"

Someone just had to barge in and ruin the moment.

Ilya was, without a doubt, pissed off, and she could tell that her boyfriend Sev was also pissed off. The last time he had seen him like this was during the night they met for the first time. And as far as Ilya can tell, the raven-haired boy's fury at the moment was even worse than at that time. That time, it was unintentional rage. This time, however, said rage had a target.

The white-haired girl had heard from her fri-boyfriend all about James Potter and the Marauders. That was not all Ilya knew, however…

On the night of the 25th of August, Ilya had a dream, no, vision. The white-haired girl knew at once that it was a memory. Having seen the memories of her Servant Berserker before, Ilya knew for sure, and it was probably caused by the temporary prana connection that occurred between her and Sev.

Ilya had seen it. The tree, the lake, the events after the O.W.L.s exam, when James Potter and the Marauders humiliated Sev, using the spells he invented against him. The worst part was that Lily Evans, while attempting (or pretending to be attempting) to defend the raven-haired boy, was actually amused, as far as Ilya could tell, and that particular memory, really angered the white-haired girl…

At first Ilya thought she should just blast the cursed glasses boy with one of her Gandr shots and knock him into next week, or impale him with a sword and knock him out for eternity. However…

"SNIVELLUS! WHAT IN BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO EVANS, YOU FILTHY BASTARD!? GET YOUR SLIMY SLYTHERIN HANDS OFF HER!" the boy with messy hair roared.

"Let me handle this, Sev," said Ilya to her boyfriend quietly, a smile forming on her lips.

_This will definitely do the trick,_ smirked Ilya to herself, as she decided to take a different, more brutal, approach…

**-BREAK-**

(Peter POV)

Peter Pettigrew was as scared as a rat can possibly be. He was walking from compartment to compartment, looking for his Marauder companions when…

"…WHAT IN BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO EVANS, YOU FILTHY BASTARD!? GET YOUR SLIMY SLYTHERIN HANDS OFF HER!" the rat heard a familiar voice roar.

When Peter decided to take a peak, he saw friend Prongs standing on the other entrance door of the train compartment, glaring at…

A raven-haired boy, who Peter immediately recognized as Severus Snape and girl with white hair...

Suddenly flashes of memory briefly went across the rat's mind…

_"Hmmm…" mused a voice, which sounded exactly like Lily Evan's. "You've wasted all that magic, yet you can't even penetrate a single layer of the Aius. How disappointing…"_

_"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"_

The Evans' party…Death Eaters…werewolves…the battle that ensued…there were too many details that the poor rat's brain could not keep up… However, there was one thought that formed in Wormtail's mind.

_Oh, n-no…th-those two are d-dangerous,_ thought Peter, as he began to shake uncontrollably, like the rat he was. _James is in d-danger! I w-want to h-help b-but I'm t-too weak._

Creeping silently away from the compartment door, the cowardly rat headed off in the direction of the Prefect's train compartment to get some reinforcement…

Although he was a coward, Peter Pettigrew was still a true friend, and when it comes to helping his friends, his mind works properly…

_I better go tell Lily,_ thought Peter. _She's the only one who can help James now…_

**-BREAK-**

(Sirius POV)

Padfoot was starting to feel really irritated. Due to the fact that he stayed awake and drank too much coffee the night before, he was excruciatingly sleepy, but painfully unable to fall asleep.

Moreover, he was getting bored. Had he known he would not be able to even get any shut-eye, he would have taken his best friend on his offer to go and torment old Snivellus. As the Stag Animagus was not back yet, he was sure that James was taking his time, enjoying himself…

_Guess, I better go check up on Prongs, then,_ thought Sirius, as a dog-like grin appeared on his face_. I hope I'm not too late to join in the fun…_

**-BREAK-**

(Lily POV)

Lily was not at peace with herself. Thanks to that white-haired bi…girl, she ended up spending the rest of her summer vacation pondering on dark thoughts. Even up to now, her words still haunted the red-haired girl.

_"Severus Snape is as true a friend as can ever be…" _

_"He was true to you, but you were never true to him…"_

_"…you did nothing. You just stood there, watching, as Sev fought for your sake against seventeen murderers, knowing he could get killed in the process."_

_"You never even saw Sev, did you? All you ever saw was yourself…"_

_ "As far as you can tell, he was a nice piece of tissue on which you could dry your tears."_

_"… you only ever saw him as a tool."_

_ "You." _

_"Used."_

_ "Him."_

_"I'm right aren't I?"_

"Lily, are you okay?" asked a gentle male voice. "You look kind of pale."

"Oh, Remus, sorry…I was just…thinking about something," replied the red-haired girl with a small smile. "I'm just a bit…tired…I think I'll sleep for a bit..."

"Okay then, Lily," the werewolf replied. "I'll just wake you up when the lunch lady passes by."

"Thanks Remus."

They were in the Prefect's compartment. She and Remus, being Prefects, had a compartment exclusive for Prefects. She was just about to doze off when the door of their compartment suddenly opened, to reveal a scared-looking Peter Pettigrew.

"Lily, Remus…James…Snivellus…white-hair…girl…need…help…" the rat animagus stammered.

The red-haired girl, who was hardly ever disturbed by noise, and was thus able to sleep soundly even when there were drills at work near her house, suddenly shot wide awake as she heard Peter talking.

_Sev…white-haired…girl…no…it can't be…_thought Lily to herself, as she and Remus got off their seats and followed Peter.

**-BREAK-**

(Alice POV)

Alice was not happy at the moment. According to the letter she received, Frank was sick with the cold, and therefore would not be able to ride the train with them to Hogwarts. He would still be coming to school when he got better, but that would be at least a week away.

As she pondered on these thoughts, not pleased with the fact that it will be a while before she saw her boyfriend, a tiny creature bumped into her.

"Oh, I'm really sorry Alice," the creature squeaked. It was Peter Pettigrew, with Lily and Remus following behind him. "But we're in kind of a hurry."

Not having anything else better to do, the girl decided to follow her friends to see what was up…

**-BREAK-**

(Remus POV)

"We have to hurry," said the werewolf to his companions, and lead them to quicken their pace.

Moony was feeling really worried. According to one of his best friends, Wormtail, Prongs had gotten himself into an argument with Severus Snape and the girl called Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya. He did not know how it was possible, as Remus had never even seen her in school before, but there was no one else who could fit the description, and Peter would never lie about something like this.

While it was true that the two went out of their way to save them, Moony was sure that it was only because of Lily that they came to the rescue, whatever the true circumstances actually were.

The problem, right now though, was that James was apparently picking a fight with the raven-haired gi...boy and the white-haired girl, and as far as Remus' wolf instinct was concerned, as well as what he had seen, those two were on a danger level that Prongs wouldn't be able to handle (Not to mention the fact that Severus Snape absolutely hated James).

_We have to hurry before things get out of hand,_ thought Remus, as they moved on to the next company. _Only Lily will be able to stop them._

**-BREAK-**

(James POV)

James tried, tried as he might, but there was no point in struggling. The spell cast on him was still in effect.

"I...I think we should stop for now," said Severus to the white-haired girl gently, panting, his face red, breaking off from their passionate kissing session, which had been on for several minutes. "If we go on a bit longer, I might not be able to hold back anymore…I'm not yet ready, and I don't think you are as well…"

"I…I understand, Sev," replied the white-haired girl, who was also red in the face and panting. "I…I'm also not ready." And the white-haired settled by leaning her head on the raven-haired boy's shoulder.

_Flashback_

_(James POV)_

_"SNIVELLUS! WHAT IN BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO EVANS, YOU FILTHY BASTARD!? GET YOUR SLIMY SLYTHERIN HANDS OFF HER!"_

_James Potter aka Prongs was livid. He knew it. He knew what the Slytherin bastard was like. There was no doubt in his mind what had happened._

_Lily Evans ended up hating Severus Snape, so the greasy git undoubtedly used some kind of spell on her to get her back. He even turned her hair silver. There was no doubt that Dark Magic was involved. Was it a Love Potion? Imperius? Confundus? To Prongs, it wasn't important which. All that matters was…_

_'HE'S GONNA PAY FOR THIS! DON'T WORRY LILY, I WILL SAVE YOU FROM THIS SNAKE!' roared James Potter in his thought. Convinced that Lily was probably under a spell, he concluded that it would probably be useless to talk to her right now, so he decided to take out Snivellus first, then ask questions later. Taking careful aim, James pointed his wand at the greasy git, and roared, "EXPE…"_

_"Expelliarmus!" cried the white-haired girl, as the wand in James' hand flew and the girl caught it. _

_James was shocked, not at the fact that Lily Evans used wandless magic, but at the tone of her voice. Prongs had never heard her sound this cheerful before, and it only confirmed his suspicion. 'Snape did something!'_

_Before he could so much as take a step, however, another jet of red light hit him straight on and he lost all consciousness…_

_End of Flashback_

_'WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS!?'_ thought James Potter, as he helplessly watched Severus and Lily in front of him, in each other's arm, unable to turn away, unable to speak, unable to move even his eyes, apparently as a Full-Body Bind Curse and a Silencing Charm had been cast upon him.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

At first Severus Snape was shocked by what happened. His girlfriend, Ilya, used a Disarming Spell and then a Stunning Spell on his hated nemesis James Potter without hesitation, and without even using a wand. She then used a Silencing Charm and a Full Body-Bind Charm on the raven-haired boy's messy-haired foe.

He was awed and amazed at the progress that Ilya had gone through. He had not asked yet how Ilya managed to get herself accepted into Hogwarts, but Severus was now sure that she won't have too many problems. In three weeks time she managed to learn what many others (excluding Severus, of course, who had learned under Ilya's guidance) could not, even in full seven years of wizarding education, and one of those is the use of wandless and verbal magic (she had cast the Stunning Spell and Full-Body-Bind Spell without muttering the incantation.).

Still, this was nothing to the shock he received when Ilya suddenly kissed him again. Well, he was reluctant at first, but the girl was persistent, and he was unable to resist. However...

When he saw that James Potter was awake and staring at them, he decided to stop, realizing for the first time after all thought was driven from his mind that there was someone else with them in the compartment, as well as the fact that people might come passing by at any time.

Severus then realized Ilya's plan. Yes, it was a good strategy, a good way to hurt his hated enemy, to hurt James Potter, and watching them was probably more painful for him than any Cruciatus Curse but…

He couldn't risk losing control. While he was okay with letting other people see them hugging, kissing, holding hands, and other forms of public display of affection, there was no way he would let anyone see when he and his girlfriend did "it." Besides, they were not ready yet, and Severus was determined to hold off his urges until they are ready, or better yet, until he and Ilya are married.

His honor as a gentleman would not let him. He would not allow himself to be the reason that the name and image of Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, the one he loves, is shamed, in any way…

(Ilya POV)

The white-haired girl on the other hand, upon recovering her wit, also thought along the same lines, though more concerned for Sev's reputation than her own. She already knew, from Sev's stories, that people viewed him as a Dark Wizard, and seeing him doing lude things to a girl in public would only add to the fire, instead of helping to diffuse it.

Still, if the raven-haired did not regain his senses, Ilya wasn't sure if she would have managed to regain hers. She was, in the term of the word, feeling hot, and she would not have been able to control herself.

She felt a bit ashamed of herself for it. Her plan, with which Sev played along with, was to get back at James Potter by letting the messy-haired bastard see them being affectionate (Including the fact that they have been wanting to do so in the first place, had not said person interrupted them). However, Ilya absolutely did not want anyone else to see her in "that" particular moment except for Sev. Only the person she loved would be allowed to see.

Then again, everything was fine. Just seeing her and Sev cuddled closely together, as Ilya saw with satisfaction, was more than enough to make the spectator's hazel eyes fill with rage and envy, as he helplessly watched them, unable to do anything…

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"I must admit, you really do make the best meals, Ilya," said Sev, as he bit into his curry bun (In other words, bread with curry stuffed inside it.)

"I'm glad you like it, Sev," said Ilya, as she smiled gently (James Potter, who was still forced a full view of them, sat forgotten.).

Suddenly, the train seemed to have hit something rough, as it shook a little too violently. Taken by surprise, Ilya lost her balance…

"KYAAAA!"

"ILYA!"

CRASH

"Nnnnn…" voiced Ilya, still a little dizzy from the experience. "Sev, are you all right?" worry in her voice.

Sev had somehow managed to get below Ilya to stop her fall, and she ended up landing on top of him, while he in turn slammed flat onto the train floor.

"Yes, I think so," replied Sev, who was wincing slightly. "Anyway I think we'd better…"

The sound of the compartment door opening was heard, as a cheerful male boy spoke.

"Hey, Prongs, finished with Snivelly yet?" asked a barking male voice, as he entered the room. "I know I should've gone with you ea…" but he suddenly froze, seeing Severus and Ilya lying on the floor, and James sitting on the floor in a corner of the compartment, just as the door opposite also opened. "Prongs?"

"Are you sure they're here, Wormtail?" inquired another male voice, though this one was somewhat familiar, as though Ilya had heard it shouting before.

"Yes, I am. I'm sure they're over…" squeaked another voice, but then it froze.

"What?" asked a female voice. "But I don't see any…" but then it also froze.

"Sev, Ilya," breathed a cold female voice, which sounded so much like Ilya's.

"Lily?" gasped the raven-haired boy, a note of surprise in his voice.

"That's Mr. Snape and Ms. Emiya to you, Ms. Evans," replied the white-haired girl, her voice also chillingly cold, as emerald eyes locked upon emerald eyes.

The temperature in the room suddenly seemed to drop below freezing point, as Ilya and Severus got up from the floor, their clothes disheveled in such a way that could easily cause a misunderstanding.

_Well, this is an unexpected turn of events, _thought Ilya, as she both sighed and smirked inwardly. _But at least I won't be bored for a while…_

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter out then people. Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!


	25. CHAPTER 23

**CHAPTER 23: DEMON**

(Remus POV)

Despite being a werewolf, as well as being a Gryffindor, Remus Lupin possessed a strong, but calm and calculating personality. He is not easily angered, nor is he easily panicked. Perhaps this is the reason why his beast side found it hard to influence him, and was unable to take 100% control even during the full moon, when he is forced to change into his beast form. The calm, patient human side dominated the impulsive, animalistic, wolf side.

The moment they entered the train compartment, however, the wolf inside him started growling, trying to take over even though it wasn't full moon, even though they were in human form. But it was not because the wolf was feeling hungry, looking for a prey, nor was it feeling murderous. The truth was, the beast inside Remus was trying to take control because…

It was feeling nervous and threatened. The wolf side of his being was on its guard. Rarely were Moony's human and wolf side at an almost complete agreement, and it was never a good sign. Remus' two sides even contemplated on leaving the compartment at once (although the wolf had a half-mind to pounce on whatever the threat it sensed was), yet Remus was unable to do so, for the moral and caring side of his human self prevented him from doing so, despite the danger he was sensing, for his friends were there.

On one side of the train compartment stood Remus, along with Alice, Lily, and Wormtail. On the other side of the room was one of his other best friends Sirius Black, aka Padfoot. Near the center of the compartment, on the floor, were the raven-haired gi…boy named Severus Snape and the white-haired girl Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, in an…awkward…position. And on one corner of the room, in an odd sitting positioning…was an unmoving James Potter…

-**BREAK-**

(Remus POV)

Having an analytic mind, Remus, considering his friend Wormtail's testimony, and what he had seen, was instantly able to form plausible theories on what had transpired. There were a number of possibilities, and after a very brief amount of time Remus' brain landed on one in which he was convinced…and Remus did not like it.

James, whether on purpose or not, must have entered the room where Snape and Emiya were in, whatever they were doing (Though Moony guessed, based on the position the two were in when they entered the room, they were making out.). Prongs, seeing them, went into a fit of rage and anger _(They must have been snogging or something...!),_ mistaking the white-haired girl for Lily, as the two had a most uncanny resemblance, the only clear distinction was the color of their hair. And for someone who did not know about Emiya beforehand, they would have quickly mistook her as Lily who changed her hair color.

Remus was not sure which side attacked the other first, but it was clear who the victor was. However angle Moony looked at it, no matter how much he tried, he could not help but be sure that James was the one mostly at fault, having undoubtedly starting the whole thing. Still, even though Remus was sure it was the case…

_That was cruel,_ thought the werewolf to himself, feeling a chill.

Yes, it was cruel, really, very cruel. And what really bothered Remus was the fact that Snape, while ev… he was the way that he is, would never have even thought of such a torture. He hexes, he jinxes, but Severus Snape, while very intelligent (The werewolf could not deny this fact.), always caused physical injury…

This time, however, it was different. James was bound, disabled, but aside from that, he was physically unharmed. His hair was not falling, his nails were not growing, his eyes were not bulging, he was completely unharmed, physically. However...

Mentally, his friend Prongs was definitely not okay. He was being made to go through a psychological, not physical torture.

The immobile James Potter was probably placed under a Full-Body-Bind-Curse, and he was unable to move even his eyes, only his mouth. However, no voice was coming out of it, which meant that he must also have been placed under a Silencing Spell. Normally this would not have been much of a problem, but the way he was positioned…

Prongs was dumped to a corner, in such a way that he would have a full view of whoever was occupying the train compartment, and, in effect, any and all things that they were doing. _(And the center, where Snape and Emiya were doing whatever they were doing was the one at the most perfect angle, thought Remus.)._ Moony shuddered, as he imagined how James must have felt, to see Snape, the person he hated the most in the world, doing Merlin knows what, with the girl James undoubtedly believed to be Lily. Knowing how much his friend Prongs fancied her _(He's crazy in love with Lily!), _for James, it must have been worse than any of the other pranks and curses Snape had thrown on him put together. Still…

_This was not his style,_ thought Moony. There could only be one other mastermind.

Glancing sideways, Moony saw Padfoot approaching Prongs, stiff-as-a-board-looking and unmoving. Normally Sirius would have roared in fury. While Remus knew that Sirius would undoubtedly prioritize helping James first, he was really loud, and he should have been shouting foul words and insults at the greas-raven-haired young man by now, but he wasn't. Instead, Sirius, undoubtedly in a turmoil of emotions like the rest of them (Peter and Alice were also most likely silent because of the two identical ladies), silently approached their messy-haired friend.

All these were processed in a span of a few seconds.

Remus Lupin, despite his turmoil of thoughts and emotions, knew what had to be done. He wanted to say something, to resolve the situation himself, but someone else spoke before Remus was even able to speak.

"Sev, Ilya," said a familiar voice coldly.

"That's Mr. Snape and Ms. Emiya to you, Ms. Evans," replied the strikingly similar voice to the one which just spoke, in a similarly cold tone.

Lily Evans, the girl with dark red hair had moved forward, now standing in front of Remus and the others, face to face with the girl who was identical to her in almost every way, except that she was a bit paler, and had silver-white hair instead, their emerald eyes, also strikingly identical, locked upon each other…

Suddenly, however, Remus Lupin felt a shockwave that almost made him fall to his knees. It didn't feel like a spell, but more like a hostile intent, and apparently the rest of the people in the room did not notice it. The wolf inside of him now growled angrily, and was now desperately fighting its way to the surface…

"So you felt that…" began a cold voice. "Then please give me a good reason, as to why I should let you live, demon?" The werewolf could hear the gasps coming from his friends.

Remus Lupin felt shocked. The hostile intent was directed at him. There was no doubt about it. The girl called Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya had now removed her gaze from her almost double Lily Evans, and her emerald green eyes were now locked upon Remus Lupin…no… at the beast that was now roaring inside him…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

In the past month, Severus had experienced a lot of shocking and surprising occurrences in his life. He was living in a world of magic, yet the things that Ilya showed and taught him still shocked him greatly. Magecraft…Magic Circuits…Reality Marbles… even though he was living in a world of magic, these were still new to him...

At the moment, however, two major events that did not have any relevance to spells and casting had unfolded, and was unfolding before him, as these were a bit more on the personal side, all in one day.

First, his confession. In the time they were together, Severus had developed feelings for Ilya. It was something beyond his control, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't help it. He had fallen in love with her. And by the miracle of it all, their feelings were mutual, and thus his confession was accepted. No one could describe how happy Severus felt in his heart. And to top all that, Ilya was going to Hogwarts as well. They will not be separated.

Still, there was something else that was bothering Severus, something he seemed to have forgotten, that was nagging at him from the back of his mind, and it wasn't James Potter or the Marauders at all. And in one instant, that certain something that was bugging him had now occurred…

An encounter with his former best friend Lily Evans.

Before Ilya had arrived, Severus could only see two paths in front of him. The path to serving the Dark Lord, and the path to continuing his friendship with Lily. No, he never even thought about it that way. He thought that he could have it both ways, but he was mistaken. His infatuation with the Dark Arts had cost him the only friend, the only family he had in life. If it wasn't for Ilya, Severus was sure that he would either be a Death Eater by now, or else died of a broken heart.

Before Ilya came, Lily Evans was, as far as Severus was concerned, his first family, there was no doubt about that. The raven-haired boy had thought that he was in love with her, but knew now that it wasn't true. To Severus, Lily was actually like a friend and a little sister, who needed him, who depended on him. Severus simply wanted Lily all to himself. He simply did not want anyone to take Lily from him.

At one point in time, Severus was Lily's only support. He was both her friend and protector. However, as time passed, and Lily found more and more friends, her world no longer revolved around the raven-haired boy alone, and she relied on him less and less as the years progressed. And as she needed him less and less, Lily drifted further and further away from him. Months before he called her former best friend a Mudblood, Severus already knew that Lily had already taken a liking to James Potter. He could tell from her reaction whenever she was with him, her best friend at the time, and feeling bitter because of it, the word slipped out eventually and she left him. Lily no longer needed him.

Ilya, however, was a different case. True, their first encounter wasn't exactly what anyone can call pleasant. At first, Severus did not like having her around, as the white-haired girl, who looked and sounded exactly like his former best friend, made him recall painful memories. As time passed however, he eventually opened up to her.

Ilya had actually been Severus' support. Thanks to her, the raven-haired boy had once again a reason to keep on living. However, that was not all…

The white-haired girl had a sad life. True, Ilya did tell Severus about it on the first night they met, but she actually had no intention of burdening the raven-haired boy with it, and she had not brought it up since. As Severus remembered, the girl was actually planning to commit suicide, and he could tell that she was serious about it. Had Severus not invited Ilya to her house that day…the raven-haired boy didn't even want to think about it.

Severus did not know how it happened. He knew he was intruding, but he had unintentionally seen some of the white-haired girl's memories, and they were painful. Abandoned in frozen hell where vicious beasts lurk, hungry, cold, alone… Losing every person who had ever meant anything to her, whatever the cause, forced to eat by herself hoping they would return, something which was not possible, crying all the time, all alone in the world… Yet she never bothered Severus with it. She had never once asked for his help. Yet she in turn, was giving him his support. Ilya did what she could to help Severus. She even risked her own life to save Lily, knowing that her death would wound him deeply.

Yes, Ilya had a sad life, but that was over now. It was all in the past. They were in the present. Severus is her lover. She was not alone anymore.

It no longer mattered to Severus now that Ilya looked so much like Lily. Ilya was Ilya, and that was the end of that. Severus was in love with her, and in turn, Ilya was in love with him…

Still, Severus thought that there was something he had to do. He needed Lily to forgive him. Forgive him for all the wrongs he had ever done to her in the past, so that that weight would be lifted off his shoulders, and they would both be able to move on with their lives, at peace with each other.

"Sev, Ilya," said the red-haired girl in a cold voice. Although their voices were similar, Severus could now easily tell Ilya's and Lily's voices apart.

"Lily?" he gasped.

_Now's my chance,_ thought the raven-haired boy to himself

The situation at hand may be awkward, but Severus knew that this was as good a time as any. Lily was cold to him, but after all, that was to be expected. They were in a train compartment, and Lily was there. However…

"That's Mr. Snape and Ms. Emiya to you, Ms. Evans," he heard Ilya reply, her voice also chillingly cold.

Severus felt his mind freeze as he heard his girlfriend speak. The only time he had heard her speak with this much cold hate and fury before was when she was facing the Death Eaters in Diagon Alley, who were picking on the innocent…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

Severus could only watch as the two identical girls, his former best friend Lily, and his girlfriend Ilya, stare coldly at each other, emerald eyes upon a strikingly similar pair of emerald eyes. Severus could feel the chill, as the temperature of the room seemed to drop a degree with every moment that passed.

_Oh, no, Merlin! What should I do?_ thought Severus to himself.

This was troubling. He did not know how it came to be, but from the short exchange of words that transpired between the two, Severus could tell that they were acquainted (not just during the night of the attack on the Evans), and not in a good way.

As Severus observed, the dislike visible in his former best friend's emerald eyes, (which seemed to be even greater than her former dislike for James Potter and her current dislike for Severus himself), was only matched by the cold hatred that was clearly visible on Ilya's own emerald pair.

The air was chillingly tense, as if a blizzard was brewing. Then, Ilya broke off the eye contact, and for a moment that lasted less than a second, Severus felt relieved, but then…

As Severus' Magic Circuits had already been awakened, he has now become more sensitive to sudden changes in the air around him related to magical energy, or prana, as Ilya called it. And thanks to that instinct, he had felt it. Ilya had activated her Magic Circuits, and sent a wave of energy, not at Lily…but at Remus Lupin…

Lupin suddenly cringed, and Severus observed that the werewolf's knees buckled. Then…

"So you felt that…" said Ilya, in a cold voice, who, as Severus observed, was now focusing her attention on Remus Lupin. "Then, please give me a good reason, as to why I should let you live, demon?"

As she spoke, Severus felt a gentle rush of prana from Ilya aimed at him to get his attention. Then he saw Ilya's mouth three words at him…

_Guard the rear…_

Severus was shocked, utterly confused. Ilya was definitely planning to do something with the people in front of her, particularly Remus Lupin, though the raven-haired boy didn't know what or why. And the serious look she wore on her face made the raven-haired boy really worried. However…

"Trust me," he heard Ilya whisper, in a voice that only Severus would be able to hear.

Those two words were enough, as Severus activated his own Magic Circuits, as he silently, and wandlessly, cast a Shield Charm behind himself and Ilya, unnoticeable by the others, ready to maintain it and continuously cast it, as insurance, in the direction of James Potter and Sirius Black, as the latter pulled out his wand, about to cast a countercurse on his friend.

Whatever happened next, Severus was sure that Ilya would not kill any of them. She had, after all, saved their lives once before…

-**BREAK-**

(Remus POV)

Remus Lupin was a calm and calculating individual with an excruciatingly long patience. Thanks to that, it was rare for anyone to anger him. One of those few times he felt anger included the time when Padfoot had tried to lure Snape to him during full moon. Well, it was partly because he was afraid that the Slytherin would die, but it was more because Remus did not want to kill anyone, as well as his fear of the repercussion his best friend would have to go through had he succeeded. If James had not stopped him, Black would have hurt himself badly, undoubtedly getting expelled and it might even land him on Azkaban, and Remus did not want to see his friends hurt.

Still, at that time, it was Remus' human side that was angry. Moony could tell, he could tell that the beast inside him was disappointed, as it sympathized with the dislike he held for the man. It was the same with how Remus felt about Greyback, as both his human and wolf side agreed on that matter: both sides wanted said werewolf, their own kind, dead. This time, however…

Remus Lupin felt his beast side rumbling furiously inside him. There could only be one possible reason for this, and it was the presence of the white-haired girl.

"Demon?" said the werewolf, trying to keep his voice calm, but a growl in it was noticeable. "What do you mean?"

"It is as I said," replied the white-haired girl, her voice cold and serious. "I was asking you why I should let you live, being what you are, demon…no werewolf… they're both the same to me anyway…"

The chill emanating from the white-haired girl increased. She was serious… dead serious…

"You are a threat. A danger to everyone around you. You carry with you a curse, a contagious one at that. You have a side to you that will not care, that will not give a second thought to who it hurts, as long as it is able to do what it wants… and you will eventually end up hurting or killing your friends."

Moony was shocked. Every word stung. Every word hurt. The girl knew. The white-haired girl knew. Severus must have told her.

Remus wanted to respond, but found himself unable to do so…

_What's happening? _thought Remus, feeling panicked and desperate, an uncommon circumstance for someone like him.

For Remus could now feel the wolf inside him desperately trying to get out, sensing the hostility directed at it. He remained silent, as he struggled within himself to keep the beast in check. It was not easy…

"So then, demon, have you now thought of an…" the white-haired girl was saying.

"If you're talking about him being a werewolf, we don't really care, he's our friend," squeaked a voice.

Remus was surprised, as the first one to speak for his defense was neither the loud Prongs nor Padfoot. It was Wormtail, and though he was shaking, he pulled out his wand.

"THAT'S RIGHT! MESS WITH MY FRIENDS AND THERE'LL BE HELL TO PAY!" roared a dog-like voice on the other end. It was Padfoot, and he was furious. He also had his wand out. Beside him, on the floor was an unconscious James Potter.

"How dare you…"

"Who do you think you are…"

Lily and Alice also pulled out their wands, both of them glaring at the white-haired girl.

The sight of his friends, ready to defend him, gave enough strength to Remus Lupin, to give them a small smile.

"Thanks guys," said Remus weakly, feeling in a fleeting moment of joy, that his friends will stand by him no matter what, but such moments…

"WHAT THE HELL?" Remus heard Sirius roar,

"What's happening!?" Peter squeaked.

"Ugh!" he heard two females voices cry out.

To Remus horror, he saw his friends drop their wands, as each of them, one by one, fell down to the floor, panting, as if something heavy was put on them… then he himself fell to his knees, as the same spell, whatever it was, was undoubtedly placed on him as well.

The beast inside the werewolf took the human's shock as an opportunity and took control. While Remus was still fully conscious, he no longer had any command over his body.

"So you finally decided to come out then, demon?" said the white-haired girl in a monotonous chilling tone.

"MMMMRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Remus felt his mouth move on its own, making an animalistic growl, as he stared the white-haired girl straight in the eye.

Moony wished that this wasn't real, that this was all just a dream…but it wasn't. For the very first time in his whole life, the wolf managed to take over, even though he was still in human form.

_Merlin, no!_ the werewolf's human side thought to itself, trapped, helpless, unable to control the body which was now his own prison.

He knew what could happen. He knew what his beast side was like. It will attack anyone, any human in sight… He was now standing on all fours. His wolf side was indeed powerful. It was still confused, apparently. Although he could feel the pain from the spell, Remus found that it could still move the body despite that fact…

Then, he saw Peter, panting on the floor, and the wolf inside him felt a sudden excitement, as it positioned his body, ready to pounce… Remus knew what was to come…

"Someone…RRRRR….please…RRRR…before I hurt my friends…please…KILL ME!" cried out Remus before the human finally lost consciousness, in a desperate bid to save his friend from the demon inside him…

MMMRRRRRRRR, the wolf growled.

**-BREAK-**

(Alice, Peter, Sirius, Lily POV)

It was useless, whatever they tried to do was useless. They could not pick up their wands, they could not get up, they could not move. Try as they might, the spell that was placed upon them was too strong.

They could do nothing but watch their friend helplessly, as the monster inside finally took control, rearing its ugly head.

It was all the white-haired girl's fault. It was the same conclusion they had in their heads. They will make her pay for this, (as well as the greasy-haired Slytherin Severus Snape beside her)if they could. However, it did not change the fact that they were helpless, useless, at the moment.

Then, the wolf looked around, and focused its attention on the prey closest to its proximity: Peter.

Peter wanted to scream for help. His friends wanted to scream at him to get away, but they couldn't. They were struggling just to breathe, just to keep themselves conscious. Then…

"Someone…RRRRR….please…RRRR…before I hurt my friends…please…KILL ME!"

They heard the desperate cry of their friend. Remus was still in there. He did not want to hurt them. He did not want to kill them. He did not want them to die. Given time, he might just be able to regain control of himself but…

"I see, so that is your answer," said a cold voice that sounded exactly like one of their friends (like hers), Lily Evans.

It was girl who, save for the hair color, looked identical to her (Lily Evans), and she wore a cold, merciless look on her face.

"Very well," said the white-haired girl, and as she did so, their friend Remus was slammed to the ground, as the force of the pressure on him was increased, and although it prevented him from pouncing on Peter…

_No!_ thought Peter.

_She wouldn't!_ thought Alice.

_There's no way…_ thought Lily.

_DAMN BITCH!_ roared Sirius in his thought.

The white-haired girl began to chant what was undoubtedly a spell, in a chilling and frightening monotone.

**I kill, I give life. I injure, I heal. **

Mmmmmrrrrrr?…..The wolf-Remus' eyes widened**.**

**There are none who escape from my hands. **

**There are none who escape from my eyes. **

**May it be so that you are shattered. **

Mmmmmrrrrrr! The wolf-Remus started struggling to get up, despite the difficulty…

**I welcome the defeated, the aged. **

**Surrender to me, learn from me, obey me. **

**May you be at rest. **

**Do not forget the song, do not forget the prayer, do not forget me. **

**I relieve you of all burdens. **

**May it be so that there is no deception. **

**Retaliation unto forgiveness, betrayal onto belief, despair unto hope, **

**darkness unto light, death unto life. **

**May you rest in my hands. Let there be mark of your sins.**

MMMMRRRRRRRRR!

**Eternal life is found only in death. **

In one last desperate bid for its life, wolf-Remus managed to somehow overcome the spell and got up, and gave out a desperate howl…

AWOOOOOOOO!

**Forgiveness is before you, and so my incarnation vows. **

The wolf, focusing on the source of its torment, positioned itself, then sprang, charging at the chanting white-haired girl…

But hit something like an invisible wall, and was thrown backwards.

The werewolf's four friends could only watch in horror, helplessly, as Remus Lupin slumped to the ground, still and unmoving….

**"May God have mercy of this soul" **the white-haired girl finished, just as another voice roared at the top of its voice, with a mixture of fury and despair.

"NOOOOOOO! MOOOOONNYYYYY!" roared the voice of James Potter, as the messy-haired boy charged towards the two people standing in the middle of the compartment...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Well, there you have it, another chapter out.

Later then, people...


	26. CHAPTER 24

**CHAPTER 24: JAMES POTTER VS SEVERUS SNAPE**

(James POV)

All he wanted to do was make the life of one Severus Snape aka Snivellus, miserable, and from Prongs' point of view, that was in itself a righteous act. He was actually doing everyone a favor by putting the slimy, evil, Slytherin in his place…

Yes, his plan was to sabotage a certain Death-Eater-To-Be's attempts to get a friend…no servant…no girlfriend…no slave. From his point of view, it was the right thing to do to stop the greasy-haired git from victimizing more people. Yes, James will not let Snivellus deceive anyone else. The Slytherin had already been doing that to Lily Evans, the one Prongs has set his eyes on, for a very long time, and who thankfully, had finally opened her eyes, and lifted whatever hoodwinking spells Snivellus had cast on her. He will not allow anyone else to go through something like that. (James Potter, despite the evil smirk that was playing on his lips, completely denied to himself that the truth was that he simply wanted to torment the guy.)…

Instead, he was the one who got tormented. He was bound and forced to watch Snivellus and the girl he fancies, Lily Evans(who James was sure was under a spell), snogging each other, being intimately affectionate, and he, Prongs, was unable to turn away. It was too much for him, and when he couldn't take anymore, his world turned black, passing out, even though his eyes remained wide open, as the Full-Body-Bind-Curse prevented him from moving his eyelids. Then…

He heard a familiar female voice…

**I kill, I give life. I injure, I heal. **

James was in a daze, not sure of when where, or why… his world black, his eyes were closed, and he thought he heard a familiar male voice growling like a wolf in the distance.

**There are none who escape from my hands. **

The messy-haired boy forced his eyes open, as he recognized the growl. It seemed to belong to his friend Moony, and it sounded wolf-like.

_Bloody hell? It isn't even the full moon!_ thought James, as he started to get up, then…

**There are none who escape from my eyes. **

James saw, beside him, the handsome boy who is his best friend Padfoot, and he was kneeling and panting, as if he was in pain…

_What in the name of Merlin?_ thought James, still a bit hazy, having just woken up.

"Hey Paddy," James began. "Care to tell me what's…" but then he froze…

**May it be so that you are shattered. **

James' eyes widened, as he recognized a whimpering wolf-like voice. There was no doubt about it…it was one of his three best friends, Remus Lupin.

Now fully awake and alert, James tried to grasp the situation they were in as quickly as possible.

Beside him, was his friend Sirius, whose face was now almost on the floor, as if an invisible weight was bearing down on him, panting, and unable to speak. In the middle of the compartment, were Lily Evans and Severus Snape, their backs turned to them, but James could tell that the greasy git was observing him from the corner of his eye.

From what Prongs could tell, there were three or four people on the other end of the compartment. As James took a glance, he saw Alice, Peter and…Lily!?, all kneeling on the floor.

_Lily!? But!? What's going on!?_ the thought passed briefly through his head, as James glanced at the red-head on the floor, and the silver-haired girl standing by Snivellus, but…

**Eternal life is found only in death. **

AWOOOOOOOO!

All other thoughts were instantly set aside from James Potters' head, as he heard a desperate howling voice which could only belong to one person, one of James' bestest friends in the entire world.

**Forgiveness is before you, and so my incarnation vows. **

James, with no other thought in his mind but to help Moony, not even knowing how he would be able to do so, quickly fumbled in his pocket for his wand, but then remembered that Lily…no…the white-haired girl took it from him. Then…

To James, it seemed as if everything was in slow motion. He saw Moony, launch himself at the silver-haired girl who (as James realized now) looked so much like Lily. For a very brief millisecond Prongs was afraid, afraid and worried of what happened to his friend, who was undoubtedly under the influence of his wolf side. But in the next brief moment…

_No…_ thought Prongs

It turned into horror, as he watched Remus knocked back and then slump to the ground, still and unmoving…

_No…_

James had a bad feeling. The way his friend Moony fell, it was not an ordinary fall. There was something else, something unnerving, something that frightened James Potter's very being. Even in his disoriented state of mind, Prongs knew that hitting an invisible wall (which James guessed was a Shield Charm) would not cause Moony, especially if the wolf was in control, to lose consciousness.

_No…it can't be…_

A feeling of dread and foreboding was washing over him. Then, the white-haired girl spoke, in a voice that was exactly like Lily Evan's, one sentence, which confirmed James' dreaded suspicion.

**"May God have mercy of this soul"**

_No...Moony…no…no…no…no…no!_ thought James, as his mind finally clicked on the dreaded conclusion.

"NOOOOOOO! MOOOOONNYYYYY!" roared Prongs, as he charged forward, not to attack anyone or take revenge at the moment, for he was desperate, desperate to get to his fallen friend's side…

But found himself unable to do so, as he hit an invisible wall head on, and was knocked backwards, unable to move forward…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

Severus Snape, having lived in a world of magic, is not someone who is easily shocked. However…

Ilya, his silver-haired girlfriend, was just full of surprises, both pleasant and… unpleasant ones.

Severus, now in an enhanced state, his Magic Circuits active, could tell that the white-haired girl had placed a Bounded Field on the train compartment, he had no doubt about that. Otherwise, the commotion that occurred would not have gone unnoticed (Severus had already dispelled the Privacy Ward he cast before.). But that was not the reason…

Ilya, as Severus already knew, can be cruel, utterly so. He shuddered as he recalled himself seeing the dismembered bodies of the Death Eaters who attacked his house at Spinner's End. Still, at that time, it wasn't without good reason. However, this time…

_Why?_ thought Severus.

The raven-haired young man had already accepted his girlfriend's methods when it comes to dealing with people who would hurt others. Although he did not like the fact that the Bounded Field's pressure was being used on the people currently in the train compartment, especially since Lily was also there, Severus found that acceptable. He had actually trained under that pressure, and while the pressure made it difficult to move, it in itself wasn't that harmful or deadly (Although it will be if used in combination with other attacks), and the short breathes Lily and the others were exhibiting were less due to the lack of air than due to exhaustion.

As for Remus Lupin…

While Severus had a near-death experience with said Marauder when he was in his transformed wolf state, he was the one the raven-haired boy disliked the least among the four members of Potter's merry gang. In truth, had Lupin not been a member of James Potters' merry gang, even with his werewolf condition, as well as being a Gryffindor, Severus was sure he would have gotten along with him just fine (At least Severus would have been more reluctant to let him be collateral damage when he jinxed the other three. Lupin would have been an unintended victim.). In fact, as far as Severus remembered, Lupin had never cast a hex on him even once. He just watched and observed as Potter and Black had their fun…

Which is why the raven-haired young man could not understand why Ilya was taking action against Remus Lupin, of all people. Severus would have been able to fully accept the situation if Ilya had chosen to pick on Potter, Black, or even Pettigrew (While Pettigrew never hexed him directly, he would whenever he thought Severus will not realize it was him, and he seemed to have some way to find out whatever it was Severus was up to. The raven-haired boy did not know how, but he was sure Pettigrew was the one who kept warning Potter and Black about the traps he set up for them.).

Still, when he saw Lupin take on his wolf persona, Severus was horrified, recognizing the beast that almost tore him to shreds months ago. Had anyone looked at him closely, they would have noticed that his knees were trembling, although only slightly now, compared to before, (Ilya's training of the raven-haired boy may have something to do with it.) But the horror and trauma of the experience was put out of his mind temporarily, when…

"Someone…RRRRR….please…RRRR…before I hurt my friends…please…KILL ME!" Remus Lupin, the human side, struggling against the beast side, roared out in desperation.

Upon hearing those words, Severus could not help but feel some respect for one of his Marauder enemies. A person's true nature usually manifests itself in a moment of need and panic, especially the ones which are a matter of life and death, and Lupin, who was in a similar critical instance, chose to lose his own life than end up hurting those he cared for.

Before Severus could ponder more on this angle, however, the werewolf was slammed to the floor, as Ilya increased the Bounded Field's pressure on him. Then…

**I kill, I give life. I injure, I heal. **

**There are none who escape from my hands. **

**There are none who escape from my eyes. **

**May it be so that you are shattered. **

**I welcome the defeated, the aged. **

**Surrender to me, learn from me, obey me. **

**May you be at rest. **

**Do not forget the song, do not forget the prayer, do not forget me. **

**I relieve you of all burdens. **

**May it be so that there is no deception. **

**Retaliation unto forgiveness, betrayal onto belief, despair unto hope, **

**darkness unto light, death unto life. **

**May you rest in my hands. Let there be mark of your sins.**

**Eternal life is found only in death. **

Severus could not help but be awed, feeling a mixture of dread and admiration for his girlfriend.

Ilya was like a poet reciting a poem, and from where Severus stood, she looked absolutely stunning as she did so. Still, the raven-haired boy could tell that what she was chanting was a spell…

**"May God have mercy of this soul" **finished Ilya.

Upon hearing the last sentence, Severus felt himself shake in fear. Remus Lupin, in his wolf persona, after growling and howling like a wounded, dying, animal, was now sprawled flat on the compartment's floor, immobile and unmoving.

"NOOOOOOO! MOOOOONNYYYYY!" Severus heard James Potter roar, as the man rushed forward, then slammed himself onto the Shield Charm that the raven-haired young man had been maintaining.

_No, way… she didn't…Ilya wouldn't…_ these thoughts were passing through the Severus' head. But then…

"He's fine, just unconscious." said Ilya in a quiet voice that only Severus could hear, and indeed she was right.

Although it had only been a few days, Severus, who was a fast learner, had now gained sufficient training and understanding to sense magical power, or prana, and Lupin's body was still emitting it [As Severus noticed, all people he met did have some amount of prana, but most Muggles possessed very little (or unable to let it surface, as Ilya had told Severus that all living beings have a considerably large amount of od, as od, or prana produced by the body, is equivalent to one's life force.), as the signature was really faint, while all witches and wizards in the room, including the unconscious Lupin's, was still stronger than any Muggle's prana signature.]. And even if Severus did not have this ability, he trusted Ilya, and believed in her.

_Thank Merlin, Lupin's alive,_ thought Severus, feeling relieved, placing more prana into the Shield Charm he cast, as James Potter once again charged at it and was thrown back once again, (though the raven-haired boy couldn't help but wonder why Ilya wasn't using the Bounded Field to press down the messy-haired boy, perhaps it was part of her plan.).

The raven-haired boy was worried, partly because of what Lily would think, partly because he now held some respect for Lupin, but mostly because he was worried about what could happen to Ilya because of it.

And besides…

_That smile,_ thought Severus, as he looked at his girlfriend, who was staring at the unconscious form of Remus Lupin.

If there was one thing that Severus had learned in all his time with Ilya, it was to be able read some of her emotions from the expression on her face. And right now, the silver-haired girl was wearing a smile, not the chillingly cruel smile of someone who had just killed Dark Wizards…Right now, the smile she wore was similar to the one she gave Evelyn Scrimgeour when they rescued her from the clutches of the Death Eaters back in Diagon Alley…

Then, the white-haired girl turned towards Severus, and with a different kind smirk to the one she was just wearing about a moment before, nodded her head...

The raven-haired boy, understanding what the gesture meant, nodded back, then turned to give his full attention to the only other person standing in the compartment aside from himself and Ilya.

_Now, then,_ thought Severus, as he turned towards a messy-haired boy with hazel eyes beneath a pair of oversized glasses, the raven-haired young man wearing a rather sadistic grin on his face.

**-BREAK-**

(James POV)

"Haah…haah…haah…haah…haah…" panted the messy-haired boy, as he tried to catch his breath. "DAMN IT!"

Several minutes had passed. He did not know how many times he had tried, but no matter what he did, it was just impossible to break through a Shield Charm without using magic to dispel it.

"What's the matter, Potter? Can't do anything without a wand?" sneered Snape, as he and James were about a foot from each other, almost nose to nose, except that there was something invisible between them that prevented Prongs from jumping on him.

"Why you," snarled James. But then, the greasy git's words gave him an idea. Seeing Padfoot's wand on the ground, Prongs grabbed it, before quickly telling his friend in a hurried manner. "Let me borrow this for a bit…"

_"REDUCTO!"_ roared James, aiming for the invisible barrier, where the spell exploded on impact.

Seeing his chance, believing that the Shield Charm had been dispelled, Prongs rushed forward, but…

James once again found himself crashing into an invisible wall, and flew backwards. Either the Shield was still there or another one was put up, the former possibility more likely. This time, though, having moved faster than before, he almost crashed right into the compartment door.

_DAMN…I HAVE TO GET TO MOONY!_ thought James, nothing else mattered to him at the moment. In his desperation, he launched a continuous array of spells to remove the spell that was preventing him from getting to his friend.

_"STUPEFY! FLIPENDO! DIFFINDO! REDUCTO!"_

James Potter tried, tried as he might, but nothing he did was working, and he was starting to get exhausted. The Shield Charm was too strong, and for some reason, Snivellus did not even have his wand out, did not have to keep recasting it. Still, he had to try…

_"CONFRINGO!"_ roared James, putting every bit of power he could into his spell.

_"PROTEGO!"_ cried Snape.

This time, the spell, instead of being dispelled on the Shield, was deflected. The jet of light was sent sideways, where it hit the seats, which in turn exploded, bursting into flames.

_What in the name of Merlin?_ thought James, wide-eyed with shock, yet unable to speak aloud, as he slumped to the floor, exhausted, panting heavily, having used every bit of magic he could muster.

The fact that the Shield Charm Severus Snape cast managed to deflect many of his spells was only a bit of a surprise. In the past, when he and Padfoot attacked Snivellus (whenever they saw he was alone, without his slimy Slytherin buddies with him, they did), they found it hard to break it, even with the two of them casting hexes (three when Wormtail joined in, for Moony never did), and most of the time the greasy git got away. No, what really brought James into a stupor this time was because…

_"Expelliarmus!"_ shouted Snape, and James felt himself lifted off his feet, and slammed to the door of the train compartment, Sirius' wand flying from his grasp, as the greasy git caught it.

"No…way," gasped James weakly, wincing in pain from the impact, shock in his voice. "Impossible…"

For Severus Snape had just cast a Shield Charm and Disarming Charm in front of him, without using a wand…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Okay, then, so here's another chapter out. Still, as my work keeps starting to pile up. I am not sure if I can keep maintaining this update rate, so again, all I can promise is that I'll update at least once a week.

Later then, people…


	27. CHAPTER 25

**CHAPTER 25: BLADES OF FRIENDSHIP**

(Sirius POV)

Sirius Black, aka Padfoot, was actually wondering _WHAT IN BLOODY HELL WAS GOING ON,_ and if not for the great shock he received, he would have been barking out loud like a rabid dog. The strange events of the day, James bound and helpless (which made Sirius really angry) and specially the presence of the girl who looked so much like Lily Evans, brought up so many questions and theories in Sirius' head, most of them leading to the conclusion that _Snivellus is using Dark Magic to make someone look like Lily Evans._

Still, Padfoot was brought out from his reverie when the white-haired girl (under the instruction or control, more likely control, of Snivellus, no doubt about it), started harassing his other best friend Moony about his being a werewolf.

"So you felt that… "Then, please give me a good reason, as to why I should let you live, demon?" said the white-haired girl.

From the words she spoke and the way she said it, Padfoot, having a dog-like instinct, knew she was serious. The white-haired girl really did intend to harm, to kill Moony. Sirius' rage flared, and he was fumbling in his pocket for his wand, to blast the two people in the middle of the compartment. For all he knows it was just some random girl under some sort of disguise charm beside Snivellus. Yet…

_What is this?_ thought the dog Animagus.

Sirius Black, the man who defied tradition, and was chosen as a brave, lionhearted (doghearted, perhaps in his case), member of the Gryffindor House, instead of the sly and cunning Slytherin's, found himself trembling, shaking in fear, as he felt the white-haired girl's murderous intent.

Now, Sirius Black was feeling nervous. Whoever the girl was, there was no way she could be just some random chick.

_She might be a Death Eater!_ thought Padfoot, who was now really worried.

Still, despite the fear he felt, Sirius like the Gryffindor he is managed to overcome it, as he and his friends prepared to take down the two Dark Wizards (he had no doubt about it in his mind that they were Dark Wizards), Yet…

"WHAT THE HELL?" Padfoot found himself roaring, as he was, by an unseen power, forcefully pushed down to the ground, turning him from vicious guard dog to helpless puppy…

The situation suddenly turned from bad to worse, much worse. Due to whatever spell that either Severus Snape or Ilya Emiya, as he remembered the exchange between Lily and her almost-mirror-image, was using, none of them were able to move…

Sirius could do nothing but watch, watch, as the white-haired girl began chanting…

**"May God have mercy of this soul"**

"NOOOOOOO! MOOOOONNYYYYY!" roared James Potter.

Sirius wanted to yell, to roar, to howl out in anger and despair, seeing his friend Remus fall, but he couldn't, he could no nothing, he couldn't even scream, couldn't help his friend…

"Let me borrow this for a bit…"

He watched as Prongs, borrowing his wand, tried with all his might to break through Snape's defenses, but as the exchange progress, to get to Moony. Sirius knew he would have done the same thing, but saw how futile it was…

He couldn't help but feel horrified, yet awed, at the same time, at the brief exchange of Prongs and Snivellus. The greasy-haired git's Shield Charm was so powerful, that the messy-haired boy's attacks were apparently unable to penetrate. It was a rather frightening, yet amazing spectacle, both at the same time. Yet…

_"PROTEGO!"_ cried Snape.

What horrified him the most, however, was the fact that Severus Snape was casting spells without a wand, as Sirius realized that whatever spell was being placed on him and the others was also being done wandlessly. None of the students at Hogwarts, not even those in their seventh year, could perform such a feat. Also, the only teachers they have ever seen use wandless magic was Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. Sirius was not sure of their other teachers, but as all of the Marauders (except Peter, who was really horrible at Potions) were members of the SlugClub, he was pretty certain that the head of Slytherin House could not.

_"Expeliiarmus!"_

"No…way," gasped his best friend. "Impossible…"

Padfoot could do nothing but watch, as James was slammed to the compartment's door, knocked unconscious once again.

_I'm useless, why the HELL AM I SO USELESS,_ thought Sirius bitterly.

"Ilya," Sirius heard Snivellus began in an inquiring voice, his voice sounding slightly alarmed. "What…"

"Everything's fine now, Sev," the white-haired bi..girl cut off the greasy-haired git in a cheerful tone. "You have nothing more to worry about. The demon… Remus Lupin… he's dead…"

-**BREAK-**

(Lily, Peter, Sirius, POV)

"I'll be taking these for now, thank you," said the girl who was identical to Lily in a cheerful voice. She was now walking on the compartment, in the direction of Remus (stepping over his body), Wormtail, Lily and Alice, taking each of their wands from the floor, one by one. When she had finished doing so, the white-haired girl returned to the middle of the compartment where she initially stood, putting out the fire and repairing the seats destroyed by James Potter as she strolled, and wandlessly as well.

"Now then, since the demon is dead," the white-haired girl began in a cheerful voice, a voice that sounded so much like Lily Evan's. "I suppose I can let you go free now." At these words, the great weight that was bearing down on them suddenly lightened, but remained crouching on the floor, unable to get up, partly because they were still exhausted from the effects of the spell, but more because their hearts felt heavy, and the weight seemed to be even greater than that of the spell that was cast on them…

_No…Remus...please, no…_ thought red-haired girl who looked identical to the white-haired one.

Lily Evans was shocked beyond words, as tears started forming on her eyes. She could not move, she could not speak. It was hard for her to take in what happened. Death Eaters…what happened over the summer…the white-haired girl and her painful words…everything else was nothing compared to this…

"N-no! M-m-m-oony!" squeaked the little voice of Peter, as he crawled ever so slowly towards the body of his werewolf friend, tears flowing down his eyes…

"MERLIN BE DAMNED SNIVELLUS, LET ME THROUGH!" roared Sirius Black in a dog-like voice, who managed to stand up, as he tried to get through the invisible barrier, not to attack the two he believed responsible for what happened, but simply to get to his friend's side, but in the weakened state he was in, all he could was shout as loud as he could, as he tried to use brute force on the Shield Charm, but he almost looked as if he was just leaning on an invisible wall…

Lily, Peter and Sirius could not help but despair, as they looked at the lifeless body of their friend Remus Lupin…

"He's not dead," they heard a female voice speak, as Lily and Pettigrew thought something like a shadow passed by them, though they did not think it was as important to bother about as what the voice just said, as if whoever spoke it was only trying to deepen their wounds further…

"What do you mean he's not d…" began Lily, as the tears slowly began to pour down her cheeks, but her voice was drowned out as…

"SEV, WATCH OUT!"

…another female voice, similar to the red-haired girl's shouted.

"Ilya!?" asked the voice of Severus Snape, apparently confused. In almost the same instant, however…

CLANG!

They heard the sound of metal hitting metal, as sparks flew in the air…

Despite the sorrow they felt, the three friends could not help but gasp at what they saw…

The three of them, Peter, Lily and Sirius, did not recognize it at first, as it was the first time they heard her talk in such a tone. They now realized as to who was the owner of the female voice that just spoke.

It was their friend Alice, wielding four, small, pointed blades with a dark red handle, two held in each hand, like a cat's claw, metallic friction sound coming from it, as they were in contact with two pairs of similarly fashioned blades, held by the white-haired girl in the same manner, a look of surprise visible in her emerald green eyes that was so much like Lily's, as she defended the raven-haired boy from the unexpected attack…

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

Clang!

Whoosh!

Clang!

Clang!

_Now, this is really is a most unexpected development,_ thought the white-haired girl, as she parried against the black-haired girl in front of her.

Fortunately for Ilya, her body's physical capability and reaction time, enhanced by Reinforcement, as well as the instinct she honed during the many battles she had fought in in her world, managed to warn her of the imminent danger. If not, the girl might have stabbed Sev in the back…

Yes, Sev was used to sneak and surprise attacks, Ilya noticed this much during the times they were training. Having spent years under attack from the Marauders may have been the reason behind this. Her boyfriend has improved greatly, his senses even better than before and his body can now keep up with his instinct. Sev was already good enough to sense it when others intend to harm him, and was thus able to prepare a countermeasure against it...

However, a well hidden hostile intent like the one just now was something that even Ilya found hard to anticipate.

It was something that Ilya least expected to happen. Before she released the Bounded Field's pressure, she made sure to take the wand from every single person in the room, a move which the white-haired girl was sure would disable them and thus make them harmless After all what harm could a witch or wizard do without their wand, without their magic…

That was a mistake. A miscalculation. Who would have thought that there was someone in this world who could take a beating from concentrated prana pressure and remain unaffected enough, not only to be able to walk well enough, but to still be able to move really quickly.

_I shouldn't have underestimated her! I should've have realized it! _thought Ilya, furious with herself, as she parried another one of the girl's strikes. _She wasn't panting…she wasn't breathing heavily, and she didn't even try and hide it! How could I overlook something so obvious?!_

The truth was, the white-haired girl was surprised by the black-haired girl's sudden movement. The girl went for Sev, and Ilya, thankfully, managed to parry it just in time.

The offensive strike was well-timed. The black-haired girl waited for the moment when their guards would be at their lowest, and struck…

And the shock was the reason why Ilya wasn't able to cast a Shield Charm in time. The girl was already at too close a proximity for Ilya to effectively cast one to block her. Reacting the only way she knew how to get out of the situation, Ilya Traced weapons to be able to counter, and the easiest one to produce at the time…

Would be the girl's two pairs of weapons, which, incidentally, turned out to be…

_Black Keys? No they're not,_ Ilya retracted the thought, as in a span of less than a second, she acquired the battle knowledge and experience of the weapons…

The thin pointed blades the girl was using were not Black Keys that were used in Ilya's world by the Church against the Dead Apostles and other creatures they targeted, but they were similar, very much so, in structure and in composition. But the white-haired girl knew this wasn't the time to dwell on that, and instead focused on the battle.

Clang!

Clang!

Whoosh!

Clang!

Whoosh!

Clang!

Clang!

_She isn't bad, I must admit, _thought Ilya to herself, as she continued to engage the black-haired girl. However…

CHING!

"GUH!" the black-haired girl cried out, as Ilya, slightly modifying her copies of the blades in the midst of battle, by making the edge of her own slightly hooked, and pried the weapons from the black-haired girl's hands, which flew into the air and were stuck to the wall, as the girl fell on her knees, weaponless, and now breathing heavily…

Yes, she wasn't a bad fighter, and she could wield the blades well. However, Ilya was a far more experienced fighter than she was. The white haired girl was not also more experienced, but was also able to heighten her bodies' capabilities through Reinforcement. Also, while she was able to conceal it, the truth was the black-haired girl was also affected by the pressure of the Bounded Field, although not to the same extent as her friends. And also…

_These weapons have experienced many battles. She isn't the first one to wield them,_ mused Ilya, as she looked at the copies of the blades in her hands…

Yes. The white-haired girl, an ability that she inherited from her brother along with the Reality Marble, is able to read a weapon's experience and utilize it as her own, therefore able to wield it with nearly the same level of skill as the previous owner… or owners, put together. The black-haired girl was at too much of a disadvantage. But that was not the only reason…

"Do you yield?" inquired Ilya, as she looked down at the black-haired girl kneeling on the train compartment's floor in front of her, as the white-haired girl pointed the blades at her…

"I…I yield," replied the black haired-girl, who was still panting.

Sensing that the black-haired girl had completely dropped her hostility, Ilya started walking towards her.

Lily Evans and Peter Pettigrew gasped in horror, fearing the worst.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" roared the voice of Sirius Black, who was still lean…struggling against Sev's Shield Charm. But they did not need to worry…

Allowing the copied blades to vanish out of existence, Ilya approached the black haired girl…

"That was quite a display of skill there," the white-haired girl commented, with a smile on her face, as she held out her hand.

"Says the one who just wiped the floor with me, and using the same style as mine at that," replied the black-haired girl, frowning slightly, and to the surprise of her friends, she took and accepted Ilya's hand, and was now also wearing a smile.

"Come now, I know you were holding back," commented the white-haired girl. "Don't try and deny it. I can tell you never intended to harm either me or Sev at all."

"Hmmp!" snorted the black-haired girl. "And what about you? I've seen the way you dodged the volley of curses the Death Eaters were throwing at you back at Lily's place...which reminds me, I haven't thanked you for saving us back there yet... so Thank You." The black haired girl, although talking conversationally, was, Ilya could tell, thanking her sincerely. "I wouldn't have been able to manage something like that. Even I can tell the difference in our skill from that alone."

"You're welcome...and regardless of what you say, you are an excellent fighter," said Ilya sincerely.

"Whatever," replied the black-haired girl, as she tried straightened her hair with her hands. "Anyway your name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, right?"

"Yes, it is," nodded Ilya. "But you can call me Ilya for short."

"I see," said the black-haired girl. "Then allow me to introduce myself."

The girl took a deep breath before speaking.

"Good day to you then, Ilya," began the black-haired girl. "My name is Alice Sera Chaucer. You can call me Alice. It's a pleasure meeting you, and sparring with you, as well…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Well, there you have it, another chapter out. I didn't really think I would manage to find time but manage it I did. After all, four free hours when your mind works is better than two whole days without being able to think of anything. Hope you like this chapter...

Later then people...


	28. CHAPTER 26

**CHAPTER 26: ALICE**

(Sirius POV)

"Just what in the name of Merlin is going on?" asked James weakly, having just woken up, too tired and confused to do so loudly.

Sirius was now in the compartment which he had saved up for the Marauders (by messily putting all sorts of things, their trunks, books, etc. on all of the seats), along with Prongs, Wormtail, Alice, Lily and ... even Moony, who was alive and conscious, for which Padfoot was thankful for, all of whom were sitting quietly in the room, not even bothering to remove the mess (save for the trunks) from the seats. Still…

_Flashback_

_(Sirius POV)_

_"Goblin metal?" inquired the white-haired girl, her emerald green eyes slightly glowing with interest._

_"Yes," replied Alice, as she pulled out her blades from the wall of the train. "You've been wielding those blades all this time, yet you do not know what they were made of?" the black-haired girl asked a question in return._

_"No, I could tell what it was made of," the white-haired replied, frowning slightly, as she made a blade, similar to Alice's, seemingly appear on her hand. "I just didn't know what it was called, nor did I feel the need to…anyway where did you acquire them from?"_

_"How did you do that?" Sirius heard his black-haired friend ask, curiosity in her voice. "Goblin metal is made to be resistant to many kinds of magic, they cannot be Summoned easily."_

_"Perhaps mine is just a Conjured copy, then?" the white-haired girl smirked, as she made the blade in her hand vanish._

_"Now you're just pulling my leg," Alice replied to the white-haired girl. "Anything made from goblin-made material, especially goblin metal, cannot be copied by magic."_

_"Really?" the white-haired inquired._

_"Really…I've had these with me since I was twelve, so I can tell if an item is made of goblin metal when I see one," the black-haired girl responded, frowning slightly. "The appearance can be copied, but the properties cannot. Goblin-made blades are meant to never break or rust, as well as withstand various spells… if your blades were fake, they should have been destroyed by mine." Alice was now putting her blades inside their sheaths, then back into her blouse, one pair per pocket(which were hardly visible) located below the chest._

_"Are you sure?" the white-haired reply, with a rather strange smile on her face…_

_"Of course I'm sure, what do you take me for?" scoffed Alice… "And besides…"_

_"WHAT THE HELL, ALICE?" roared Sirius. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING , GETTING ALL FRIENDLY WITH THAT BITCH! MERLIN BE DAMNED, SHE KILLED REMUS, ALICE!"_

_Padfoot was stunned, shocked, by the many things that happened, but one of the worst things for him was the feeling of betrayal, as from his point of view, what Alice was doing can be considered as such._

_Silence reigned for a while, as Sirius tried to catch his breath, panting from his recent outburst of emotion._

_"Remus is not dead, Sirius," said Alice in a low voice, but loud enough for everyone to hear clearly._

_"NOT DEAD? HOW CAN YOU SAY HE'S NOT…" Sirius began shouting again, but his loud rant was surpassed in volume by another._

_"HE…IS…NOT…DEAD!" shrieked the black-haired girl. "REMUS IS NOT DEAD, SIRIUS, HE'S FINE! HOW CAN YOU NOT GET THAT THROUGH THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS!?"_

_Sirius, while still feeling weak, was ready to take her on in a shouting match, but then…_

_"Ugh Ugh Ugh" coughed a familiar male voice, as a figure was starting to get up from the floor._

_"Moony?" Sirius gasped, unable to believe what he was seeing._

_"Owww…my head...Sirius?" inquired the werewolf, who was now on his feet, apparently still in a daze. "What happened?"_

_"MOONY!" the dog animagus cried out, relief flooding through him, everything else forgotten for the moment. "YOU'RE ALRIG…OUCH! HEY SNIVELLUS, TAKE DOWN YOUR DAMN SHIELD! LET ME THROUGH!"_

_Sirius couldn't have cared less about revenge, payback and anything of the sort in that instant. He was just glad to see that his friend was all right._

_From the distance, the sound of banging on the door on both sides could be heard._

_Alice sighed._

_"He's a loud one, isn't he?" inquired the white-haired girl._

_"Obviously," the black-haired girl sighed again. "I guess I better get them out of here before we catch too much attention. Although...locking the doors, however you managed to do that, and not letting anyone through is one way of doing that… I guess I'll see you later then, Ilya," Alice said with a small smile._

_"Yeah, see you later, Alice," the white-haired replied, returning the smile with one of her own…_

_End of Flashback_

"I would like to know what is going on as well, Prongs," seconded Sirius in a low voice, who was talking in a non-barking, non-growling voice, which for him is very unusual. "And not that I would like to accuse our friends of hiding things from us, but I can tell that that you and I are the only ones missing something here," the growl was back in his voice when he said this. He then shot a look at the four other occupants, who shifted guiltily in their seats, save for Alice, who remained unmoved.

Sirius shuddered slightly. Ever since their little encounter with Snivellus and his white-haired bi…chick...partner…doesn't matter, the black-haired girl seemed to have taken a completely different persona.

Well, Alice had always been like that, the one who showed the least emotion among his friends (except when she was around Frank, that is), but ever since the events in the train compartment just a short while before, Sirius was now seeing her in a completely different light.

"MOONY!" roared James suddenly, as he launched himself at the werewolf into a brotherly hug, which made all the other people in the compartment (except for Alice, although the slight shrug on her shoulders gave away the fact that she was also surprised) jumped. "YOU'RE ALIVE! THANK MERLIN! I THOUGHT YOU WERE A GONER!"

"What happened?" asked Remus, looking confused. "The last thing I remember…OH, PETER, I'M SO SORRY! I don't know what…the wolf just… and then…" The werewolf looked guilty, as he undoubtedly recalled himself (his werewolf side) about to turn Peter into a snack.

"No-no, it's fine Moony," replied the rat animagus. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"IT WAS ALL SNIVELLUS' AND THAT GIRL'S FAULT!" roared Sirius. There was no doubt about it in his mind.

"I agree with Black," added a female voice.

All eyes in the room turned to the source. It was Lily.

"That girl, Ilya, or whatever her name was," the red-haired girl began. "You all saw it. She was using some kind of spell…you all experienced it...well, Potter didn't… but it was as if something really heavy was bearing down on us. Not only that, she used something else on you Remus. I don't know what spell it was, but I'm sure that she was using Dark Arts. I'm just glad you're okay Remus. You're lucky to be alive." The red-haired girl finished.

Silence reigned in the room for a while, as Peter, James and Sirius nodded in agreement…

Then…

"I can't believe I'm hearing this kind of talk coming from you, Lily," said a cold female voice, sounding disappointed. It was Alice.

"What do you mean by that, Alice?" the red-haired inquired, looking puzzled, as her voice began to rise. "Sev and that girl… didn't you see? For Merlin's sake, they were using DARK MAGIC!"

"Dark Magic which, save for getting a bit of exercise, left us all unharmed?" said the black-haired girl at her friend, her tone mocking.

"You saw it yourselves, there's no way it could've been anything else!" cried the red-haired girl, as she looked around in the room, to which three of the Marauders (except Remus) nodded. "And they were even casting magic without a wand! It was Dark Magic, I know it! You know it!"

The black-haired did not say anything, but was unable to conceal a snort, as if to mean that what the red-haired girl was saying was ridiculous.

"And what about you then, Alice?" Lily Evans continued. "Those sharp knives you carry… that girl also has them…there's a Dark spell cast on them, I'm sure of it…"

Remus and James stared, looking confused.

Sirius' and Peter's eyes, however, who had seen Alice's earlier display, widened with worry and shock, as they agreed with Lily's words.

The black-haired girl's face remained impassive.

"You're being possessed…" said Lily, worry in her voice.

Sirius couldn't agree more.

"L-Lily's right, Alice," squeaked Peter.

"Please, Alice," the red-haired girl said gently and worryingly. "You have to throw them away before anyt…"

But everyone in the room was shocked as the normally calm and collected Alice snapped.

"THESE BLADES ARE THE ONLY MEMORY I HAVE LEFT OF MY MOTHER AND FATHER!" screamed the black-haired girl. "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT I'M BEING POSSESSED! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT THEY ARE IMBUED WITH DARK MAGIC! THEY ARE THE ONLY PRECIOUS MEMENTO I HAVE LEFT TO REMEMBER THEM BY!"

A painful moment of silence passed.

"Alice..." Lily began, but the black-haired girl cut her off.

"That's Ms. Chaucer to you, Ms. Evans," snapped Alice.

The room fell silent once again, as they felt a cold chill emanating from the black-haired girl, their friend, Alice, her hostility mostly directed at the red-haired girl.

Sirius could not help but gape and wonder. Lily and Alice had been friends ever since they started schooling at Hogwarts, having shared the same room for five years, and they were on very good terms with each other, and seemed really close, almost like sisters. as far as Padfoot could tell. Yet now…

"I never realized you were this kind of person," said Alice, as she looked Lily straight in the eye. "All of these paranoid theories you have, I've had enough of it. I guess I'll be seeing you, Evans."

All of them could not do anything but watch as the black-haired girl started walking towards the compartment door.

"Oh and Black…Potter," said Alice, not turning around to look at them. "If you really want to know what exactly is going on, I suggest you ask Remus. You might get a twisted version of the truth if you were to listen to Evan's or Pettigrew's version of the story, saturated with their Dark Arts nonsense more likely."

_What in the name of Merlin?_ thought Padfoot.

Sirius could only stare, as the black-haired girl left the room and slammed the door behind her, noting that the other occupants of the room were doing the same thing he was…

**-BREAK-**

(Alice POV)

"How dare they…how dare she…" said the black-haired girl, not noticing that she was saying her thoughts out loud, ignoring the stares people were giving her, as she walked towards her compartment.

"Hey, Alice, are you okay?" Bridget, one of the black-haired girl's Gryffindor dormates inquired, looking worried, undoubtedly about the unusually serious expression on her friend's face.

"Don't worry I'm fine, really," replied Alice, as she forced a smile on her face. "Really, there's nothing for you to worry about."

"If you say so," said Bridget, although she was still looking worried. "I guess not having Frank around is really bothering you…"

**-BREAK-**

_(Alice, Monologue)_

_Alice Sera Chaucer, a pureblood, and the last living member of that bloodline._

_She had never known her father, except by his name John, who, according to her mother Elise, was an Auror, and he died fighting against Gellert Grindelwald's forces, newly-reformed and under the leadership of his former second in command Vladimir Slopovik, who was as powerful and skilled as their former commander. (They actually wanted Grindelwald himself to lead them again, but the old Dark Lord refused, having lost interest in power and senseless battles ever since he was defeated by Dumbledore eighteen years earlier, and preferred to remain in Nurmengard. Although disappointed, his followers respected his wishes.), when he went abroad to help in the effort of subduing the Dark Wizard. Elise herself was an Auror as well, and she would usually go out on missions assigned by the Ministry of Magic._

_Still, Alice was content and happy. Her mother loved and cared for her. She was, in every way, a kind, gentle, and loving person, just as a mother should be. Whenever it was Alice's birthday (or whenever Alice wanted to) Elise would buy her daughter presents, and take her out for some fun. During Alice's seventh birthday, her mother had even taken her to see the Eiffel Tower, which was considered one of the marvels of the Muggle World._

_The black-haired girl couldn't help but remember the feeling of being up there with her mother, as if they were on top of the world. Yes, Alice was content and happy with her life…_

_Then, on Alice's Twelfth birthday, her mother fell ill and died, and the black-haired girl was devastated. _

_About a month before she breathed her last, Elise confessed to her daughter that she, in fact, had been abroad with her husband John on the mission to help thwart the Dark Wizard group's campaign for power. It was a tragic story. There, Alice's father died at the hands of Slopovik himself, who acknowledged John as a worthy adversary, honoring him with death rather than take him prisoner. _

_Elise told her daughter how she wished that John had been taken captive instead, for in two week's time, Albus Dumbledore came and defeated Slopovik(Who committed suicide after Dumbledore refused to take his life, preferring to die rather than live in shame.), and all those who were held captive in Nurmengard were saved and were able to return to their families (except Gellert Grindelwald, who preferred to remain, even though Dumbledore offered him the chance to be set free)…_

_Then, her mother made another confession. In one of the skirmishes that ensued, Elise had been hit by a curse. Sadly, there was no known cure, no countercurse, for it was an unknown and unfamiliar spell. It was slow-acting, and would eventually weaken and then take the life of its victim. _

_Flashback_

_It was the second of February, 1972, Alice's birthday. The black-haired girl was at St. Mungos hospital, where her mother was confined, having been allowed to leave school to visit her mother, knowing that she was on her deathbed. One of the Healers personally came to Hogwarts to collect Elise's daughter, as the mother wanted to see her daughter one last time before she passed away._

_…_

_"Alice," said Elise gently, smiling at her daughter. "I'm sorry I could not take you to visit Diagon Alley today… if only I…"_

_"Mum, please… you need to save your strength," said Alice, tears falling down her eyes._

_"Here…take…this," said Elise, as she took a small black box engraved with jewels from her bedside table and handed it to her daughter, her breaths becoming weaker and weaker. "It's…your…present. Happy Birthday, my angel."_

_"Oh, Mother!" cried Alice. Despite her condition, all her mother could think about was her daughter._

_"May you live a long and fulfilling life…I love you, sweetheart," said Elise to her daughter._

_"I love you too, Mum…Mum?...Mum?...MUM!? WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP! I HAVEN'T EVEN THANKED YOU FOR MY BIRTHDAY YET. PLEASE MUM, I LOVE YOU! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! PLEASE MUUUMMMMMM!" _

_She was gone…_

_End of Flashback_

_And from that point on, Alice never enjoyed her birthdays, for it was the same day that her mother, her one and only family, who truly loved and cared for her, died. The black-haired girl actually wanted to kill herself, to follow her mother, but could not bring herself to do so, for her mother wanted her to keep on living. It was her twelfth birthday, the worst birthday of her entire life, the last birthday she will be able to spend with her mother. And the last present she gave her…_

_When Alice opened the box, the first thing she saw was two pairs of small, thin, blades, or daggers, with a red hilt, goblin-made, the entirety of which, blade, hilt and sheath, were made from goblin metal. Then, she saw something which looked like a small book, with a piece of parchment on top, and on it, were words written in the handwriting of her mother…_

**_These blades once belonged to your father... they are able to resist and block many forms of magic…may they protect you from harm…_**

**_I love you, sweetheart…_**

**_Mum_**

_The note from her mother made Alice burst into tears, and it took a while for her to calm down. When she finally regained control of herself, she took a look at the book. And when she read the first page, she saw her father's words, which made her burst into tears once again…_

**_May these help keep my beloved wife Elise and my precious daughter Alice safe, even when I'm gone._**

**_John King Chaucer_**

_Even though Alice had never met him, even though she never really knew him, this one statement was enough to show how much her father cared for them…_

_In the book that her father had written were instructions, not only on how to use the blades, but also gave lessons on melee combat. According to John, many wizards are useless in close-range fights, having been used to fighting by casting spells…_

_'Mum…Dad...don't worry', thought Alice, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. 'I'll be sure to live a long and happy life. With you watching over me, I have nothing to fear…'_

_(End of Monologue)_

Alice knew now where she had to go…

"Where are you going, Alice?" inquired Bridget, who noticed that the black-haired girl was carrying her trunk. "Do you not want to sit with us anymore?"

"No, it's not like that," replied the black-haired girl. "It's just that I promised to see someone a little later today."

"Oh, are you cheating on Frank already?" mused Rachelle, her eyes lighting up with interest.

"Of course not, it's a girl… and I needed to…um… ask her about something," responded Alice.

"Ah, come now, Alice," said Rachelle. "You can tell us… we won't breathe a word to Frank, we promise…"

Alice sighed.

"Think what you want then," the black-haired girl said, as she left the compartment. Before she closed the door, however, she heard the two girls giggling.

"GOOD LUCK THEN ALICE!" Bridget and Rachelle shouted together.

**-BREAK-**

The black-haired girl now stood in front of her destination.

_Well, here goes nothing,_ thought Alice, and with the same courtesy she had shown when passing through the other compartments…

Knock. Knock. Knock…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Well, here's another chapter out. Hope you like it. And please don't forget to review if there's something you'd like to say. Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome...

Oh, by the way, the name John King Chaucer was something I thought up on impulse, but Elise... well, though they are not the same person, I based the name from a certain Executioner in Type-Moon...

Oh, yeah, and thank you very much to the one who pointed out a very critical mistake I made regarding Grindelwald. To me it is rather critical since I intended to follow Harry Potter Canon material in some way before the beginning of my fanfic's plot. I did a bit of an edit for that, and added the character Vladimir Slopovik instead. Sorry, I completely forgot about the Dumbie Choco Frog (which clearly stated that Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald in 1945, and John Chaucer was supposed to have died in the 60's).

You see, I could easily use and say the usual "alternate universe" time line excuse, but I won't, since I would really like to at least follow canon material for a bit, at least that of some critical events, like the year Grindelwald was defeated, so instead I added something in between, like Grindelwald's followers reorganizing themselves again.

As to why Slopovik was not well known even during his leadership, well that will be because he was still crediting his efforts to Grindelwald, as well as that the damage they've done after reforming is still too minor compared to what they did the first time under Gellert, and they were stopped before they could do anymore.

Later then, people...


	29. CHAPTER 27

**CHAPTER 27: FASTIDIO  
**

(Severus POV)

The raven-haired young man found it hard to process the many things that happened to him in one day, all in continuous succession.

First, his successful confession to Ilya. Their feelings were mutual, and were now together.

Second, the sweet little psychological torture on James Potter which the white-haired girl set up.

Yet while these two occurrences were already a lot to take in for Severus, even more amazing things happened. In a strange combination of circumstance and coincidence, five people, including the Alice Chaucer remaining members of the detestable Marauders, and Lily…Lily, turned up in the compartment. To top it off, the white-haired girl initiated one of her plans on them.

The plan his girlfriend set up was agreeable enough. Severus managed to give the Marauders a nice little payback, and while he did not exactly enjoy watching what was done to Lupin, Severus was especially pleased with the fact that he got the chance to utterly defeat James Potter in a clash of magic (thanks, of course, to Ilya training Severus ).

It was sad and disappointing, however, that Ilya's plan prevented Severus' attempt at apologizing to Lily Evans. Yes, that was one thing that the raven-haired young man wanted to do, and he lost the opportunity. After all that happened, Severus knew how much more difficult it would be to do so. Still…

_…_

_"SEV, WATCH OUT!"_

_"Ilya?!"_

_CLANG_

_…_

Something else unexpected happened. Alice Sera Chaucer was someone Severus was not particularly familiar of. While she was seen often walking together with Frank or Lily, and sometimes the Marauders, the raven-haired young man knew very little about her. And now that very person just tried and stab Severus in the back.

Severus actually felt it. He did feel the air tense up when the black-haired girl suddenly went on the offensive. Still, it was shocking, so shocking in fact, that had Ilya not intercepted the blow, Severus was sure that he would not have been able to move away fast enough, and would have been skewered.

Although Ilya told Severus that Chaucer did not actually intend to harm them, the fact that someone managed to notice and take advantage of their lowered guards was not something to be taken lightly. The black-haired girl, Alice Chaucer, was undoubtedly a good fighter, and if she really was aiming for a kill, as long as she manages to get close enough to a wizard, and too close for a spell to be successfully cast using a wand without the chance of it hitting the caster as well, it would probably spell their doom.

Yes, there was more to Alice Sera Chaucer than meets the eye, that was for sure, without a doubt. The revelation about her was indeed something of a mystery. However, all these ware nothing as mysterious as the fact that…

"I must say, these are, good," commented a black-haired girl, as she elegantly chewed on her second piece of pastry with a spicy meal inside them.

"I'm glad you like them, Alice," said Ilya, smiling. "They are called curry bread. I made them myself."

"You must teach me how to make one of these," muttered the black-haired girl, with slight jealousy in her voice, as she started on her third one. "By the way, Ilya, what else can you cook?"

"Oh," the white-haired girl began. "I know how to cook pork chops, beef steak, Italian pasta…"

Severus sighed.

Yes, as of the moment nothing could be more mysterious (and annoying) than the fact that Alice Sera Chaucer, a Gryffindor, a friend of the Marauders, and more importantly, the one who just tried to stab them with knives, was currently sitting with them in a train compartment, chatting cheerfully with Ilya, as if said events had never happened…

**-BREAK-**

(Marauders POV)

"I still can't believe it," gasped James.

"Same here, Prongs," said Sirius quietly, in a low growl. "Snivellus fighting against Death Eaters, now that's just absurd."

It took a while for Remus Lupin to explain everything that happened at the Evan's party to his friends James and Sirius, mostly because the two were shouting at the top of their voices at first, and the werewolf had to repeat certain points over and over again until the information finally managed to sink in.

"It's the truth, you know I'd never lie to you about something like this," said Remus. "Snape and that girl Emiya saved our lives. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't even be talking here right now. Ask Lily and Peter if you want, they were also there."

Sirius looked his werewolf friend straight in the eye, trying to find some form of deception, but couldn't.

"All right then, Moony, we trust you, so we'll take your word for it," sighed James. "But… that still leaves one thing unanswered… who exactly is that girl hanging around Snivellus, and why does she look so much like…"

Prongs suddenly fell silent, as all four of the Marauders turned their gazes towards Lily.

"Lily," began Remus, as the forgotten mystery now presented itself. "Do you know who she is?"

"I don't know," replied the red-haired girl slowly, in a quiet voice.

"Is she perhaps, your sister?"

"I don't know."

"Then, maybe a distant relative?"

"I SAID I DON'T KNOW!" shouted Lily, feeling exasperated.

A tense moment passed as Remus fell silent, for the red-haired girl with green eyes just screamed at him.

"I…I'm sorry Remus," said Lily sincerity in her voice. "I…I really have no idea who she is…"

A moment of silence passed.

"Back at Lily's, she introduced herself Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya," said Remus. "Emiya. Do any of you know anyone aside from her who goes by that family name?"

All the other people in the room shook their heads.

"I thought so," sighed Remus. "So other than her name, her wandless magic, and the fact that she's almost like Lily's double, we don't really know anything about her…"

The train compartment fell silent for a while, as each person in the room was deep in thought, racking their brains to come up with theories and explanations to the mystery…

"But still," began Sirius. "She must be related to you in some way, Lily." The comment earned Padfoot a glare from the red-haired young lady. "I mean," the dog animagus continued. "Why else would she go out of her way to rescue you? Right guys?" Sirius turned to his Marauder friends, who nodded in agreement (Though there was look of mild shock in their faces, as they got a sensible theory from someone of whom it was least expected.).

"No, she did not go there to rescue me," said Lily, her voice cold as steel, which made the four other occupants of the room cringe. "She said that she couldn't have cared less if we were killed…The only reason she was there was because Sev wanted to save me, and she only went because she wanted to protect him."

"L-Lily?" squeaked Pettigrew, his eyes widening with shock, as the same reaction was happening with the rest

The room fell silent once again. It was the first time they heard Lily Evans talk about someone with such contempt in her voice. Although she had been cold and furious with many people, including James, Sirius and many of the Slytherins, it had never been at the level that it was in now.

"I guess that is probably true," began Remus slowly. "Snape may have the motive to try and save Lily… don't try and say it's not the case James, you know it's true." Remus shot a statement to his messy-haired friend to stop him from arguing, who grumbled instead. "As for the Emiya girl, whatever her reasons, it does not change the fact that it was because of their actions that we were sav… wait… she told you that Lily?"

Remus, who was processing a lot of information in his mind, did not immediately notice that aspect of his red-haired friend's statement.

Four pairs of eyes were once again focused on Lily Evans.

"If I recall correctly," Remus said quietly, but audible enough for the others to hear, "you called her Ilya back there."

The room fell silent once again.

"Lily, could y…" Remus began, but froze, as did the rest of the Marauders, when their red-haired friend suddenly stood up, with a chillingly cold look in her emerald green eyes.

"Remus," began Lily, her voice as icy as what the look in her eyes reflected. "I think it's time for us to do the rounds, don't you think? We are Prefects, after all."

"Wha…Whoa!" Remus tried to speak, but Lily forced him up, gripping one of the werewolf's arms tightly, in vice-like grip.

The rest of the Marauders wanted to protest, but couldn't. All they could was watch as Moony was dragged by the fiery-haired girl, whose aura was presently a contradictingly cold one, out of the train compartment.

**-BREAK-**

(Lily Monologue)

So many things had happened since the middle in summer, so many in fact that it was hard to count, and it was these events which led the red-haired girl to her confused state of mind.

_"What do you mean when you say Dark Arts, or Dark Magic?"_

Lily recalled the first time she and the white-haired girl Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya first met, and that was when everything started going wrong for the red-haired girl.

_"Severus Snape is as true a friend as can ever be…" _

_"He was true to you, but you were never true to him…"_

_"You never even saw Sev, did you? All you ever saw was yourself…"_

_ "As far as you can tell, he was a nice piece of tissue on which you could dry your tears."_

_"… you only ever saw him as a tool."_

_ "You." _

_"Used."_

_ "Him."_

_"I'm right aren't I?"_

Lily Evans remembered them clearly, every sentence that Emiya said to her that day at the park. And every single one of them hurt. Every single one of them was painful.

Lily wanted to believe that what the white-haired girl was false, that everything she said was untrue, but the worst part of it all was that…

_'She was right. What she told me was the truth,' _thought Lily bitterly.

Yes, Lily admitted it to herself. It was true. She did indeed use the raven-haired boy, as the white-haired girl pointed it out. But…

_"He was true to you, but you were never true to him…"_

_'That's not true. Sev was really my friend. I was also true to him,'_ thought Lily.

Yes, it was true that Lily Evans did indeed depend on the raven-haired boy, but that was to be expected. Wasn't that what friends are for? And if Sev had needed someone to depend on, Lily would have been there for him, a Sev had been there for Lily, but…

_"You never even saw Sev, did you? All you ever saw was yourself…"_

_'I never gave him the chance, did I?'_ thought Lily sadly.

Yes, it was true. The red-haired girl realized it now. Whenever she and Sev were together, all she had ever wanted to talk about were her problems. Yes, Sev told her about so many things, about the magical world mostly, but he had never shared with her, not even once, his own problems and burdens.

All Sev had ever told her were things which the raven-haired boy assumed was fun. It was true that Lily did not like Dark Magic, Deaths Eater and especially not You-Know-Who, and they were topics which Sev always loved to discuss with her happily. Now, however, the red-haired girl realized why. Sev, on reflex, must have thought that whatever made him happy would also make Lily happy. Yes, Sev told her about other things as well, especially issues regarding Potions.

Lily now recalled. In all the time they were together, Severus Snape had only ever cried once in her presence, and that was by the Gryffindor common room, when Lily decided to break all ties with him. The raven-haired boy always tried to keep a smile on his face whenever he was around her.

The red-haired girl actually wondered how different things would have been if the two of them were in the same House, even if both of them became Slytherins.

Lily's dislike and distaste for the Dark Arts and the members of the House of Snake was, after all, was instilled into her by peer influence. Yes, the red-haired girl believed that she was not wrong to do so, following the path of light. Yet, Lily now realized that the Slytherins also undoubtedly believed that they were the ones on the right track of things.

If that had been the case, if she had been Sorted into Slytherin, Lily was sure that everyone else would shun her, the members of the other three Houses because she was a Slytherin, and the members of the House she was in as well, because she was a Muggleborn… But who can say for sure? After all, members of each House look after their own, and who could say that there are no Muggleborns there who are just keeping quiet about the fact. Perhaps they were even accepted, as the other Slytherins, not believing that Muggleborns could possible enter their House, would definitely assume that they might have simply been halfbloods, or perhaps abandoned and raised by Muggles. Even Sev was a halfblood, and that fact was not hidden. Still, whatever would have happened, Lily was sure that Sev would have stuck by him despite all that…

_"I don't need help from a filthy Mudblood like her…"_

Yes, the words hurt Lily. But it was not so much as it was the fact that it was an insulting word to Muggleborns than the fact that it was her former best friend who said it.

Yes, Sev had been at odds against the Marauders for all the days they had been at Hogwarts, especially with one James Potter. At that time, Lily knew that the anger Severus felt was not really meant for her. However…

_"Potter… fancies you… he fancies you Lily!"_

_So that's why,_ thought Lily, as she remembered the words that the raven-haired boy once spoke to her.

Yes, it was true. Lily could tell that James was definitely after her skirt. Unfortunately for him, however, Lily dislikes his bullying ways. Still, the red-haired girl thought that if only he wasn't hexing people all the time, he would have been quite a good guy. He had the looks, and he was a good flyer, which Lily couldn't help but admire, perhaps even liked him a little.

_Sev must've noticed,_ thought Lily guiltily. _But I'm not in love with that arrogant bullying toerag or anything._

The red-haired girl now remembered it. Back near the lake, she was indeed a bit flustered when James flattered her. Lily was now sure that it must've been visible on her face, and probably in the form of a blush. And that was what must've really hurt the raven-haired young man, much more than the humiliation being brought down on him by the Marauders, and thus he spoke the M-word, unable to contain his bitterness.

_I was also at fault,_ thought Lily.

A decision was now forming in Lily's mind. She would try and heal the broken link between her and her friend Sev.

"Lily, Remus…James…Snivellus…white-hair…girl…need…help…"stammered a nervous-looking Pater Pettigrew.

_Sev…white-haired…girl…no…it can't be…_thought Lily to herself.

And thus, the opportunity presented itself. She did not really care that much about the other details. This was her chance. She had completely forgotten that she and Severus were riding the same train to Hogwarts. Lily was going to talk with the raven-haired boy, and accept his apology, then the red-haired girl will also apologize to him, and thus the broken friendship will be mended. It was the perfect opportunity…

Or not…

"Sev, Ilya."

"That's Mr. Snape and Ms. Emiya to you, Ms. Evans."

At that point in time, Lily finally realized something…

The first time they met, back at Lily's place, she was shocked, and the stranger felt like someone mysterious. However, when she saw said mysterious person standing with her former best friend by the park, something else rose up inside the red-haired girl. And now, having seen the silver-haired girl on the floor, and on top of the raven-haired young man, Lily was now able to confirm exactly what the feeling was, as it was greatly intensified.

Lily would not have cared. The fact that they looked almost like twins, the fact that she was shrouded in mystery no longer mattered. Even if the girl was not really a Dark Arts fanatic, even if the girl was actually a good person, even if the girl was actually on the side of Light, and even if she was a saint…

_It's all her fault, everything is her fault… it's her fault…her fault…_ thought the red-haired girl.

It was true that Lily had never been on good terms with any of the Slytherins, and was only ever professional with her dealings with them (except for Severus Snape, who was her friend). It was true that Lily did not like the Marauders, as they were bullies, all that much (Potter and Black at least, since Remus and Peter were okay with her), as well as all of the other bullies in Hogwarts.

Before now, the red-haired girl never even thought it was possible.

Yet for the very first time in her life, for the first time in her sixteen years of existence, for the very first time indeed…

Lily Evans met someone who she hated with every fiber of her being…

End of Monologue

...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another Chapter up then people. Oh, by the way, I've done a but of reediting on Chapter 26. Just read the Author's Notes there and you'll understand just what kind of stupid mistake I made. And also... I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Later then, people...


	30. CHAPTER 28

**CHAPTER 28: DERAILED**

(Sirius, James, Peter POV)

"So Snivellus was the one who sent those two Death Eaters to St. Mungos?" asked Sirius quietly.

The small young man with slightly oversized front teeth, like a rat's, nodded shakily in confirmation.

"I still find it hard to believe," said James.

Ever since their friend Moony was forced out of…left the compartment, dragged by…with Lily Evans, James and Sirius had begun their inquiry on their other best friend Peter Pettigrew. Still…

"Remus already t-told you everything," said the rat animagus, exasperated. "I d-don't know anything else. Moony's b-better at explaining things than I am. You know that!"

Peter Pettigrew was not pleased. His friends Padfoot and Prongs had been asking questions which both he and Moony had already answered., and it was kind of getting really irritating.

"Then how do you…" Sirius began, but stopped when Wormtail poked him in the stomach with his finger.

"There's no point in me telling you if you won't believe me anyway," said Peter, his voice slightly snappish.

Sirius and James fell silent for a while. While their friend Peter usually has difficulty uttering words without stuttering whenever he is nervous or scared about the topic, he is able to do so whenever he is starting to get angry or irritated. Then...

"HEY! I THINK I'VE GOT IT!" roared Sirius suddenly, as his friends jumped, surprised by the sudden outburst (pensive memory)

Before they could form a reply, however, the dog animagus got up and locked the doors on either end of the train compartment.

_"Colloportus,"_ muttered Padfoot. "Can't have anyone barging in on us now."

Then he proceeded to destroy…rummage in his trunk, apparently searching for something.

The other two people in the room were looking at him questioningly. Well, not his insanity, the answer that was already obvious to James and Peter.

"GOT IT!" Sirius exclaimed happily, as he held a small transparent flask in his hand, with something silvery contained inside it.

"What is it Paddy?" the messy-haired boy inquired, undoubtedly confused.

"You'll see," replied the dog animagus, and he opened the flask. "Hey, Wormy, do you remember that last lesson we had about Pensieves?"

"Yes," replied the rat animagus, who was looking as puzzled as James. "Why?"

"Do you two remember what it's used for? How to extract your memories and watch it like some cheap Muggle…what did Evans call them again…ah, yes…a movie and all that?"

Padfoot's two friends nodded, before looking at him inquiringly.

"Well, my friends," said Sirius, as he shook the flask in his hand. "This…is…a Pensieve...well… sort of."

It took James and Peter a few seconds to get what their friend was trying to say. And then…

"THAT'S BRILLIANT PADDY!" cried out James, as the idea was finally registered and processed in his brain. "But then… you should have told us you had something like that earlier. The fun we could have had watching our Marauder exploits… especially our adventures with old Snivelly."

"Sorry about that Prongs," replied Padfoot, feeling guilty, as Peter, who got the message, pointed his wand at his temple, and silently began extracting the memory from his mind. "Lucky it didn't break after all the tossing around it's been in all this time…I wasn't even sure if it was in my trunk…and it's probably been in there since I left my house… never realized it was among the stuff I nicked before I voluntarily kicked myself out of there." A grim look appeared on the dog animagus' face, remembering unpleasant memories.

"Whoa… easy there… I understand pal," said James, as he tried to calm his friend down. "At least now we get to have some fun reliving the moments."

"First things first though," growled Padfoot, his scowl disappearing as a toothy grin appeared on his face to take its place, undoubtedly agreeing with James' comment . "Hey, Wormy, hand it over." Sirius now turned to his rat animagus friend, who was now holding the memory in the form of a silver strand.

Sirius now opened the flask, and put the memory into it. The flask suddenly glowed, and a moving picture projection (much like in theatres) began playing.

"Now on with the show," grinned Sirius, bowing and posing in a very similar fashion to a circus master, as he and his two companions watched the memory…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Hmmm," said the black-haired girl. "But you know, you're going to have to join the first years during the Sorting Ceremony…wonder what House you'll be in though."

"It's not really that important if you ask me," replied the white-haired girl. "Though if I were to choose, I'd definitely go to whichever House Sev is in." At this Ilya suddenly wrapped arms around one of the raven-haired boy's own.

At this the black-haired girl suddenly turned her attention from Ilya and focused her eyes on Severus, a scrutinizing and calculating look.

"Finally realized that you're sitting in the same room as a Slytherin, Chaucer?" sneered the raven-haired young man, with an obvious note of bitterness in his voice.

Severus Snape was not pleased. Ever since the Gryffindor joined them in their compartment, she and Ilya had been chatting nonstop, and it was starting to really get on his nerves.

Well, for the raven-haired young man, to say that there weren't any advantages that came with that fact would be lying between his teeth. For starters, some of the questions that Severus had wanted to ask his girlfriend has already been answered, thanks to the black-haired member of the House of Lions.

Severus found out that Ilya had actually taken an entry examination to Hogwarts, via owl mail (And fifth year is the peak starting year for a transferee who had not yet taken any O.W.L.s.) Well, as far as the raven-haired boy knew, there was no such thing. But then… he remembered that when he was in his second year, there was one male student who went by the name Richard Hatton, who did not look like he was ten or eleven years old (he actually looked like he was already over fifteen, already sporting a growing moustache, to the laughter of many of the students), who got Sorted into Ravenclaw. Severus did not know anything more, but perhaps his case was similar to Ilya's. Still…

"Sev, you're being rude, you know," said the white-haired girl in an irritated voice to her boyfriend, as she nudged him in the ribs, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Apologize to Alice."

"No, it's okay Ilya," said the black-haired girl. "Slytherins always treat Gryffindors that way."

"Well, doesn't that also work the other way around?" retorted the raven-haired boy. "You Lions also try and lord around us just because like you, the rest of the Houses also think that we Slytherins are evil?"

"Sev!" shot Ilya warningly.

Silence reigned in the compartment for a while, as Severus tried to calm himself, trying to push all the bitterness that he felt into one corner of his mind, so that it will not affect his reactions. But having spent almost five years at war with the Marauders, and with Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs cheering them on, especially when Severus was being humiliated, the raven-haired young man found it difficult…

"Well, to be honest, I don't really think Slytherins are that bad," said the black-haired girl with a shrug. "Well, a few of you are, but it's the same wherever they put you, whether you are in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, even in Gryffindor, as you know two such people very well."

Another moment of silence passed, as Severus tried to process what he had just heard.

"I don't believe you, Chaucer," replied the raven-haired boy coldly.

_That's right,_ thought the raven-haired boy to himself. _It can't be…_

"Well, you should, and call me Alice," said the black-haired girl, sounding irritated, and Severus guessed that she probably hated being called by her surname, must be because it makes her sound like she was a guy.

"It's not possible for a Gryffindor not to hate a Slytherin," said Severus after a while.

"Really, Severus Snape?" said the black-haired girl, in a mockingly inquiring voice. "You've been friends with Lily Evans for a long time, and in case you've forgotten, she's a Gryffindor and you're a Slytherin."

"Not anymore we're not," replied the raven-haired young man in sad tone. "You know what happened... you were there... you saw… you heard everything." Severus felt sadness override his temper, as their conversation just took a turn towards his pain.

Silence once again reigned in the room, as the Gryffindor and the Slytherin were deep in thought for a while…

"You know," began another female voice. "I think I now understand a bit more of this…House division thing you are talking about."

Severus and the black-haired girl turned towards the one who said the statement.

"It's actually kind of simple, really," said Ilya in a cheery voice, but Severus could tell that it was false. "You do know the old saying that birds of the same feather flock together?"

The white-haired girl took a deep breath then continued.

"In the book Hogwarts: A History, it was stated that the school was built up by its Four Founders, namely Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin. However, due to some reasons, Salazar left the school, while the other three remained."

Severus stayed silent, realizing that his girlfriend was currently in her 'Professor Emiya' persona.

She took another intake of air before continuing.

"According to the book, an argument sparked between Gryffindor and Slytherin on the issue of teaching Muggleborn wizards. Gryffindor wanted Hogwarts to be open to everyone who can do magic, while Slytherin wanted only those of wizard decent to enter, apparently not trusting those who have Muggle relations. In the end, Salazar had to leave, as the other two sided with Gryffindor, am I right so far?" the white-haired girl inquired, addressing the question to her companions.

The raven-haired boy and the black-haired girl nodded silently.

"And now, therein lies the problem," said the white-haired girl. "The historians who wrote that book itself, I must admit, while indirectly voicing out their own beliefs in the book, managed to remain honest and true to their profession. In case anyone hasn't noticed, while they were direct to the point with saying that Slytherin did leave Hogwarts, they used the words 'rumored' and 'speculated' whenever they mentioned the issue of him applying pureblood favoritism, and stating it as the reason as to why he left Hogwarts."

"Now that you mention it," said Alice Chaucer suddenly, and Severus noticed that she was actually looking at her copy of Hogwarts: A History. "You're right."

"And like I said, therein lies the problem," said Ilya. "No one really knows the reason why Salazar Slytherin left the school. While the historians confirmed that he did leave, the reasons stated there were taken from nothing but pure speculation. And Sev, you are a halfblood, yet you are in Slytherin. If Salazar Slytherin really thought that lowly of those with blood that is not purely of magical origin, no halfblood should have been accepted into his House. And if I'm not mistaken, there are probably even Muggleborns in the House of the Snake."

"But if it was nothing but pure speculation," began Severus, who was a bit puzzled. "Then why was it accepted as if it was a fact by the Wizarding World?"

"Oh, you already know the reason to that, Sev," said Ilya, smiling. "The pureblood thing, is probably recent. Even in Hogwarts: A History, which has been revised by adding more information every year, but the old written entries were hardly changed, you will notice that the pureblood issue is only minorly stated as one of the reasons why Slytherin left Hogwarts. In case you haven't noticed, the historian stated 'he wanted to' and not 'he might have wanted to' do more extensive research, stating it with certainty, unlike the rumors of him discriminating Muggleborns. The 'Salazar Slytherin hated Muggles and Muggleborns,' and the 'Slytherins are pureblood fanatics' probably started with a certain person, a certain someone who attributed the pureblood fanaticism to Salazar Slytherin's name."

"But who could have done such a thing?" asked the black-haired girl.

"Voldemort," replied Ilya simply.

"Vo-voldemort?" gasped the raven-haired young man.

At least Severus no longer flinched when he heard Ilya say it, as she had always used the name interchangeably with the "Dark Lord". Still, although the white-haired girl had been urging him to stop his pathetic nervous reflex, he still found it really difficult to say the name.

The Gryffindor female in the room suddenly gave a gasp, as she heard the name that came out of her companion's mouths, apparently surprised to hear the name, as well as the fact that it was stated conversationally, without a trace of fear (in the case of Ilya at least.).

"Mmmm?" mused Ilya inquiringly.

"You two… you just said You-Know-Who's name!" the black-haired girl exclaimed.

"Why? Isn't it only right to call someone by their proper name rather than call them something like the You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" replied the white-haired girl.

"But…" the Gryffindor female began, but Ilya cut her off.

"By the Root! Alice, you're a Gryffindor! Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be brave?" said Ilya loudly, sounding exasperated with her new friend's rant.

"But…"

"And besides," said the white-haired girl. "Fear of the name only adds to the fear of the thing itself, am I wrong?"

The room fell silent once again. Severus was still feeling uncomfortable with it, but he would rather say the Dark Lord's name than receive a glare from his girlfriend for not doing so. Still…

_What in the name of Merlin is the Root, anyway?_ thought Severus to himself. Whenever the white-haired girl was stressed out, she would sometimes swear in that manner, but the raven-haired boy was brought out of his reverie as the Gryffindor female started talking , with surprised amusement in her voice…

"Fear of the name adds to the fear of the thing itself…" the black-haired girl repeated Ilya's words. "Those are the exact same words that Professor Dumbledore said!"

"Dumbledore?" asked the white-haired girl inquiringly.

"Albus Dumbledore!" exclaimed Alice. "He's the Headmaster at Hogwarts, don't tell me you don't know who he is?"

"Oh, so he's the Headmaster then," replied Ilya to her black-haired female friend. "Yeah… I remember… he was supposed to have beaten some Dark Wizard called Grindelwald…"

"That's right!" the black-haired girl said happily. "He's probably the greatest wizard in existence, and rumors have it that his power rivals You-Know-Who's!"

"Hmmm…" mused Ilya, then she started muttering to herself. "Well I never knew he was the headmaster since it was the deputy headmistress who's been sending me letters… I could have overlooked some things though… he seems like an interesting person…"

The raven-haired boy could not help but gasp, as he remembered that the Hogwarts Headmaster did not seem to fear the Dark Lord in the slightest, and was even discouraging the use of other names for the dark wizard. And now Ilya had uttered the exact same words that very few aside from the Hogwarts Headmaster would even have the nerve to say.

"Still, then that means I shouldn't be in Gryffindor..." said the black-haired girl slowly, sighing. "I'm not brave at all."

"Says the one who just attacked an opponent she believed was superior to her in skill without any hesitation," replied Ilya, with a smile on her face.

"Hmppf!" said the black-haired girl with a snort. "I think you'll definitely be Sorted into Gryffindor Ilya, but I'm pretty sure Severus should have also been Sorted to Gryffindor."

"And what exactly do you mean by that, Alice?" shot the raven-haired boy at the black-haired girl.

The black-haired girl shrugged with her shoulders.

"Well, the two of you were actually brave enough to face a battle where the two of you were outnumbered… or perhaps you were just plain crazy…yeah, and ironically, a Gryffindor like me was actually too scared to even move to be of any help… but then, you were even brave enough to call You-Know-Who by his name…oh, and you just called me Alice!" the black-haired girl added suddenly.

Severus quickly gathered his thoughts, trying to think of a good comeback, but whatever the response that he thought up in his brain was lost, as Ilya spoke…

"Gryffindor…Slytherin…Purebloods…Muggles…Muggleborns…those with magic… those without magic…still…if birds of the same feather really do flock together, then…when it comes right down it, aren't all of us just people trying to live our lives? Aren't all of us, basically, birds of the same feather? And if that is the case, shouldn't we all be getting along?"

The room fell silent once again, as each one of the occupants was thinking meaningfully, unable to think of anything else to say. Still, the air had somewhat lightened compared to how it was a few minutes before, and also…

_At least, this is an improvement,_ thought Severus, as the silence continued on…

Severus was, by nature, not sociable. He hated it when there are people who are all talking at the same time (which is why he always eats his meals as fast as he could to get away from the bustling and talking during mealtimes) Even in the House of Snakes, he was not really inclined to join in conversations, and only did (loudly, but with the voice sounding forced as well), when the issue was about wanting to serve the Dark Lord. Yes, Severus Snape now realized that the reason why he wanted to join Lord Voldemort was simply because he wanted to be accepted. Still, while he was now used to having people constantly conversing about anything and everything around him…

He couldn't help but smirk to himself as he watched his girlfriend Ilya and their new friend (Severus couldn't help but realize that it was already like that) Alice, look out of the window, apparently enjoying the scenery while he himself did so…

_Finally, some peace and quiet…_

**-BREAK-**

(Sirius, James, Peter POV)

_RHO AIUS!_

_…_

_GET BEHIND IT, ALL OF YOU!_

_…_

_BOMBARDA MAXIMA!_

"Bloody Hell," said the three Marauders together, too appalled and awed to have it at its normally overkillingly loud volume (In the case of Padfoot and Prongs at least).

To hear about it was one thing, but to see the events unfold with their very own eyes was something else. Even Wormtail, who has seen the events first hand, was still amazed as the scene was replayed clearly in front of them.

"Merlin," whispered James, as the memory finally ended, looking shocked and badly shaken.

They watched Peter's recollection, beginning from the arrival of the Death Eaters at the Evans residence. The memory ended with Snape catching the white-haired girl after casting that spell of his, the bodies of the residence's attackers lying on the scorched ground.

"So, what happened after that Wormy?" asked Sirius.

"I t-thought Remus already told you," replied the rat animagus, exasperated. Then the rat, for the third (or was it the fourth time?) began explaining the part about how Greyback and some of his werewolves companions managed to get up getting hit by the blast without receiving too much damaged, and appeared to have the advantage, though fortunately the Aurors arrived just in time to force their retreat. "Would you like to see?"

"Nah, I believe you Wormy," growled the dog animagus, sighing, looking defeated as he finally completely (well, almost completely) accepted the facts. "I think what we've seen was enough. Still.. that wench is definitely one tough cookie." Padfoot shuddered at this, as the scene of the fight they just watched was being replayed inside his head…

"_Bombarda maxima_…" James was muttering, his tone truly serious, as it rarely was. "Hey, wasn't that the spell we read off Snivelly's fifth year Potions snotbook (The Marauders remembered how they placed all of the raven-haired git's books inside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and replacing the bag's content with Dungbombs)? I never knew it could do something like that."

"Yeah, I remember, Prongs," growled Padfoot, who was also looking serious. "But we never got that particular spell to work, like we managed to do with the other spells we stole…er learned from the slimy Slytherin. I actually thought it was a dud… though it seems we were mistaken..."

Then there was loud banging on their door…

Sirius sighed, as he put away the silvery flask and unspellbind the compartment doors(while Peter returned the strand of memory into his mind), before returning to his seat and began watching the clouds outside. The three Marauders, who were normally noisy, were silent, as each one of them was delving inside their own thoughts…

After a while, the three started discussing the issue between themselves…

Wormtail was just thankful that they were alive, and in turn, he was thankful to their rescuers, the girl Emiya and (the other two gasped as they found it hard to believe for an instant, before accepting that the rat and the rest of those at the Evans residence really did owe him) Snape.

James, on the other hand, hardly spoke, as he was still confused. On one hand, he was sure that the whole thing was a show, nothing but a trick. But another side of his thoughts was roaring at him loudly to stop his nonsense and accept the facts. Still, he did not like the fact that the Death Eaters actually mistook the white-haired girl for Lily(although James was sensible enough to acknowledge it would have only been too easy to do so), and the mistaken identity was what led to the attack on the Evans, since the Emiya girl (and possibly, Sniv-Snape, though James hated to admit it), must have displeased You-Know-Who and/or his followers in some way, and were looking for retribution, however happened. [Though James , as well as his other three companions, were now suspecting that the two had something to do with the Diagon Alley incident on the same day, based on the brief exchange of words between Bella (which they were sure could be none other than Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' cousin, the dog animagus growling at this point) and the white-haired girl, and whatever they did must have pissed off the Death Eaters (perhaps they might have even had a hand in the capture of the five Death Eaters who were presently in the custody of the Ministry.]

Sirius, on the other hand, had now fully accepted everything. Still, he was not sure he was pleased with Snape. As far as he could tell, while the white-haired girl was an extremely adept fighter, no denying it, she was undoubtedly at a disadvantage, seventeen against one, despite her location, which was on top of the roof. The dog animagus growled as he realized that the Emiya girl must have been serving as bait.

Still, he remembered the flower-like shield. From what Sirius could tell, that particular spell was undoubtedly cast by the white-haired girl. (The three Marauders shuddered when they started chatting about this particular aspect, as they recalled how none of the Death Eaters' spells could get past it, even Killing Curses, which were said to be unblockable.) For some reason though, the girl did not cast one for herself (or perhaps can only cast one at a time).

When they were too tired to think or talk of any more theories, they once again resumed watching the scenery.

In the end, however, no matter how much they did not want to believe, nor accept it, one strain of thought was clear in the three Marauders minds. Snive-Snape, and that girlfriend of his (though left unsaid, all three believed this as well), were definitely not in league with You-Know-Who. And whatever the reason was, the two did, without a doubt, just saved the lives of the people at the Evans residence that day.

Now the three (specially James and Sirius) were in a dilemma, as they were unsure with how to deal with this piece of information…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Oh, so you bought all of them?" inquired the black-haired girl.

"Yes," replied the white-haired girl. After all, there might be people who had the same body fit as myself, so I had to get them as quickly as I could."

"Couldn't you just use magic to adjust the clothes to the size you want?"

"Well I could, though unfortunately, we're not allowed to use magic when not in school, and the designs that suit my taste at Madam Janet's could only be found at the particular size"

"I see."

Severus Snape was taking his time trying to relax, but found that he once again could not. A part of him did not like sitting in the same room as a Gryffindor, and a chatty one at that. Yes, Alice Sera Chaucer was once again in cheerful conversation with his girlfriend. He couldn't help but feel that his private space was being invaded.

Then again, the raven-haired young man was, in a way, actually thankful for her company. She was, as Severus began to see, not such a bad person, nor does she fit the bill of a typical member of the House of Lions (as Severus remembered bitterly that Lily used to be the same). As he continued to silently observe, the raven-haired young man realized that he might have to rethink on his general view of the members of the Gryffindor House (with the exception of three out of four of the Marauders of course, who Severus now believed should have been in the same House as him, Slytherin).

While Severus was not exactly pleased that he could not spend the time with Ilya alone, he was more than just satisfied to see that the white-haired was enjoying the presence of their new companion. At first Severus just wanted Alice to go away, but now it was no longer the case, for Severus now considered her friend, in a way. And besides…

_That was how I lost Lily,_ thought Severus Snape to himself.

Yes, that was probably one of the reasons why he lost his best friend Lily Evans. He was too possessive, and whenever they were talking together, he would let no one else approach or chat with them...

And speaking of Lily, the red-haired girl, along with Remus Lupin, did pass by their compartment a few minutes prior, but did not say or do anything, and, just like the rest of the passers-by, continued walking up to the front without even taking a glance at them, though the werewolf briefly stared at them with an unreadable expression on his face.

Ilya and Alice, on the other hand, were continuously chatting, apparently focused with what they were talking about.

Yes, this was how it seemed on the surface, but the raven-haired young man was not fooled.

In the short time that it took his former best friend and the werewolf to pass through their compartment, Severus could actually feel the chill. It was rather unfortunate that he missed yet another opportunity to talk with Lily, but the raven-haired young man thought it would be better to get the timing right, as he wanted to at least apologize to her, and the mood at the moment was not it.

And this was something that was troubling to the raven-haired young man. His girlfriend and his former best friend appeared to know each other, and not in a friendly way. He would have to ask Ilya about this once they were alone. For the time being though…

_How in Merlin's name am I supposed to take a nap here? _thought the raven-haired boy bitterly, as the two females in the compartment continued chatting, denying Severus any chance to fall asleep…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Sev," said a familiar female voice…

"Ilya?" Severus replied, still in a daze.

The raven-haired young man awoke with a start. Miraculously, for some reason, he managed to doze off despite all the chit-chatting he had to endure.

"Are we there already?" asked the raven-haired boy asked absentmindedly, as he noticed that the train was no longer moving.

"No, we are not," replied a different female voice.

"Alice?" inquired the white-haired girl.

Severus rubbed his eyes and slapped himself on the cheek to fully awaken himself, then looked out of the window. The clouds were orange-red as the sun was beginning to set, and there were mountains and forests around them. Still…

_Now, that's strange,_ thought Severus to himself, as he looked at his watch and saw that it was only half past five. They were still about an hour away from Hogsmeade.

"I think I better check up front to see what's going on," said the Gryffindor female, as she opened the compartment door, but when she did so…

Their ears were met with the screams of students.

Severus, who was now beginning to feel nervous.

"By the Root," cursed Ilya, a frown on her face, irritation noticeable in her voice, as she looked out of the window. "Sev…Alice…I think you might want to take a look at this."

The raven-haired boy and the black-haired girl followed…

_Merlin!_ thought the raven-haired boy.

For outside of the train, still some distance away, but clearly visible in the setting sun, marching toward them…were about fifty…no… at least a hundred… carrying clubs, pikes and maces, their stench noticeable even in the distance…

"Trolls," gasped Alice, fear in her voice.

And behind them…

Were around fifty hooded figures, each one wearing a mask over their face…

Death Eaters…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter out then. As always, I hope you enjoy.

Later then people...


	31. CHAPTER 29

**CHAPTER 29: PITFALL **

(Severus POV)

The air was tense, and Severus could feel it. Something was about to happen. Something not good.

The trolls and hooded figures had now stopped their advance, and were about fifty meters from the train, standing on high ground.

_What in Merlin's name is going on?! _thought Severus Snape, fearing the worst, and he was right. For his dread was immediately confirmed when a familiar voice started echoing, apparently throughout the entire train, for everyone to hear.

"Greetings, student of Hogwarts," began a drawling voice, which the raven-haired young man immediately recognized. "As you may have already guessed, we are the Death Eaters, servants of the Dark Lord."

"Lucius," Severus muttered as he gritted his teeth. Apparently he had recovered. The last time he had encountered the pale blonde, the raven-haired boy had sent an exploding spell at him and his companions, and had to be carried off by his werewolf companions. This did not bode well.

"Contrary to what many, especially the Ministry of Magic, is telling the public, our goal is not to destroy, but rather it is to unite and strengthen the Wizarding World…"

The voice continued on its speech about how Voldemort's objective was actually for the benefit and welfare of witches and wizards alike, about how everyone should join him, and so many other promises and temptations of power, status, and the like. In the past, Severus would have only been too happy to agree, perhaps he might have even been honored to be the one delivering the speech...

Now, however, the raven-haired boy's mind processed it as nothing short of nonsense…

"Well, he's not a bad speaker," said Ilya, sounding amused. "At least his voice has got some convincing aspects to it."

But then, the raven-haired boy's worry was intensified as he heard a different, high cold voice, echo inside the compartment. It was the first time Severus heard it, but from the way it spoke, and the sweat that started to form on his forehead, there could only be one as to who it could have belonged to…

"Children gifted with magic who attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am Lord Voldemort."

"Y-you-Know-Who!" gasped Alice, who was shaking and trembling from head to toe, in a low voice, her finger pointing at someone.

And indeed, she was right. For right in front of the Death Eaters, appeared man, and as the hooded figures were bowing before him, there could be no doubt as who he was.

Severus, who, just like the Gryffindor female, was trembling, could hear screams and gasps coming from the adjacent compartment where the door had been opened by the black-haired girl, and he was sure that the situation was probably the same with the other compartments.

They were some distance away, so his face was not easily discernible… yet his eyes… yes his eyes… were an evil red, reflected in the setting sunlight…

**-BREAK-**

(Voldemort POV)

"Children gifted with magic who attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am Lord Voldemort."

The Dark Lord was now feeling really nastily joyous, as one of the biggest steps in his plans was about to come into fruition.

He had sent his Death Eaters to do some very simple errands. First, to capture a potentially talented wizard by the name of Severus Prince Snape. From what Voldemort could tell, the raven-haired boy would be a fine addition to his group of followers. Severus Snape's middle name was Prince, meaning he the last member of that elite bloodline (Caused, of course, by the fact that Voldemort had them murdered when they refused to join.).The boy was, as far as the Dark Lord could see, was talented, gifted and would undoubtedly prove himself to be useful. He was a Slytherin as well, a member of the Great House of Salazar in which Voldemort himself was.

However, what really got to the Dark Lord was the fact that the boy was a halfblood, and had been forced to grow up in the cruel and despicable Muggle World, a world without magic, just like the Dark Lord himself. Having seen the way he was in the past in the raven-haired boy, once he joined, the Dark Lord had a spot for Severus Snape in his inner circle of Death Eaters.

Of course, if the boy stubbornly refused to join this time, he would be killed. And when Severus Snape refused to join them before, Voldemort, after the memories he has seen and oral testimonies he got from Lucius, concluded as to what was the reason behind it, and thus the second simple errand: eliminate Lily Evans and her family.

It was a really, very simple task, kill a Mudblood witch along with her powerless Muggle parents. The girl may be able to do some cheap wandless magic, but Voldemort was sure that it was the raven-haired boy who taught her, and was probably still hiding more up his sleeve. With the threat of further punishment and possible death at the hands of their master, to the Death Eaters, the task would be as easy as making sparks come out of a wand that choses the wizard.

Or not…

Instead, the simple plan ended up in disaster. Two more Death Eaters, badly injured, were captured by the Ministry, while five more were also badly injured, but thankfully managed to escape. Still…

While seven of his people were captured, they were merely new recruits. They had neither the Dark Mark burned upon them, nor they do possess too significant information to undermine the Dark Lord's plans. Also, two of Voldemort's spies in the Ministry had secretly used a Memory Charm on the five in the custody of the Ministry, while the other two who were at St. Mungos' were unlikely to ever wake up, as they had been badly injured in the head.

Overall, the results were, in the Dark Lord's opinion, less of a loss and more…much more… of a gain… for Lord Voldemort, by looking at the memories of his Death Eaters, managed to get his hands on some valuable information.

One of these was the great level of magical resistance werewolves have. Voldemort consider them as nothing but animals, that was true, but their level of usefulness had increased in his eyes. They were really tough abominations, and could take a hit from a powerful cast spell without taking in much damage. While none of the half-breeds will ever be allowed to be branded with the Dark Mark, the Dark Lord will, depending on how more useful they will be to him, will be granted some of their demands once he took over. Still, there were two individuals… no longer one… but two… who managed to get the Dark Lord's attention..

First of course was Severus Snape. Still, being a Prince, the fact that he had potential was not really much of a surprise. He was cunning , intelligent and had talent when it comes to magic, as the boy, according to Voldemort's informants, particularly one Lucius Malfoy, was actually even inventing his own spells. He had a thirst for knowledge, and a thirst for knowledge. Plus, he was also a Slytherin and a halfblood. All these made the Dark Lord see a reflection of his younger self in the raven-haired boy, and thus made Voldemort really want to recruit Severus Snape.

And the other one who managed to get the Dark Lord's attention was…

Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya…

Yes, indeed. The silver-haired girl who his followers mistook for the Mudblood Lily Evans. After looking at the memories of his followers, particularly Bellatrix Lestrange, as well as the memory of the half-breed Fenrir Greyback, Lord Voldemort could not help but grow curious.

_Who is she?_ was the thought that had entered the Dark Lord's mind ever since he got a clear view of the events which happened at the Evans residence.

Yes, indeed. Just who exactly was Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya? This was a question which baffled the Dark Lord greatly.

The black ball of curses that the girl was using was indeed rather interesting. True, it was powerful, especially since the silver-haired girl can fire so many shots in a short span of time which will give a lot of trouble to anyone faced by it. Still, a well-maintained Shield Charm is enough to block it and prevent it from doing any damage. However…

_Flashback_

_RHO AIUS!_

_GET BEHIND IT, ALL OF YOU!_

_"Impossible."_

_"Our spells can't get through?"_

_"What the hell?"_

_"What kind of magic is this?"_

_"Hmmm... You've wasted all that magic, yet you can't even penetrate a single layer of the Aius. How disappointing…"_

_"Forgive me for my earlier rudeness, Bella…I apologize for not introducing myself at that time." _

_"Good evening…My name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya. You can call me Ilyasveil for short."_

_End of Flashback_

It was not easy to shock or frighten someone like Lord Voldemort. He is, after all, the most powerful wizard in the world, and there were very few things that awed or irritated him (The Dark Lord will never admit to himself that he was ever afraid of something.), which include, of course, death, and Albus Dumbledore and his rants about love conquers all.

Still, the Dark Lord could not help but be greatly impressed and mildly surprised (he would never admit to himself that he was greatly shocked) by what he saw and discovered.

The spell Severus Snape had used was indeed something to be complimented. However, upon watching the memory, the Dark Lord was easily able to recognize its nature. He could easily imitate it, but there was no need, for there were far more powerful spells at his disposal. However…

_Impressive…definitely impressive…never have I seen so powerful a defensive spell in all my life…_

It was the flower-like shield that got the Dark Lord's attention the most.

Yes, Voldemort has delved into complex and powerful magic, magic which very few has ever known, magic that is unheard of by most of the witches and wizards of his time… magic that is considered to be almost unreal even my the magical definition of the word. And among these were defensive magic spells that can defend against even the Killing Curse.

Still, even the most powerful defensive shield Voldemort could conjure would only not be able to withstand such an onslaught as what the pinkish spell shield of the silver-haired girl withstood.

Yes, such magic would be a fine addition to the Dark Lord's arsenal of spells. But the problem…

_It is impressive yet...Why could I not use it… Why could I not copy it… why could I not understand it?_

Ever since he had seen it with his own eyes, Voldemort tried every means to use the spell, but found himself unable to do, and it brought him great confusion and frustration. To think that the M… but at this point, even Lord Voldemort knew it was foolish to believe that the girl was not born from a magical family, for from the white-haired girl's speech and manners, the Dark Lord guessed that she must be someone of noble lineage, perhaps a half-blood, but she might even be a pureblood. Still, the possibility of her having Muggle relatives or being related to the identical Evans girl was just trivial to the Dark Lord. There was only one thing which he wanted…

_I must learn it…I must have it…I need to know how it is done…_

Yes, Voldemort wanted to know how it was done. He craved to know, he craved to learn it, his desire and lust for power ever driving him forward.

Thanks to the two defeats his forces suffered, the Dark Lord has now been more cautious, doing much more careful planning than before. And now he got an idea…

According to Lucius' report, aside from the ones who attacked the Evans residence, three were sent to attack Severus' Snapes household at Spinner's End, but never returned, and were still missing as of present.

Voldemort, knowing full well that it was the home of a cunning and sly, Slytherin wizard, knew that they will not be likely to return. It was a shame, but even the Dark Lord could tell that they were probably dead. Not that he cared, they were nothing special after all, and they could easily be replaced…

Severus Prince Snape and Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya however, were a different matter altogether. While Voldemort was sure without a doubt that he can easily kill them if he wanted to, they were, as of present, too valuable to dispose of. Therefore…

"It is as my follower told you," said Lord Voldemort, as his cold voice echoed throughout the train compartments. "We have not come to harm nor hurt any of you, who are children of magic … Those who are still undecided may continue their journey to Hogwarts… Lord Voldemort does not intend to impede your magical education…Those who are ready to follow me however, may come with us now, provided that you are of age… I guarantee that you will provided with magical learning far greater than what has been taught to you at your school…"

A smirk appeared on the Dark Lord's face, as there were students, about a couple of dozen, got out from their train compartments, rushing out, pushing at each other, eager to join Lord Voldemort's rank. The Dark Wizard was really pleased.

_And now, for the next phase,_ thought the Dark Lord.

"However…I have one condition, for me to release the magic I used to stop the train and allow you to go free…Aside from those who want to join me, three of you are required to stay."

The Dark Lord paused for a short while to emphasize his next words, in a more business-like tone.

"Severus Prince Snape…Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya…Evelyn Scrimgeour… you are to remain…you are to step out of the Hogwarts Express…the rest may continue with your journey …"

"There is no need for you to be frightened or worried. I do not begrudge the injuries you have caused my servants. That is merely in the past, and is of little to no importance. I merely wish to speak with you. Lord Voldemort personally offers you a place, among my esteemed Death Eaters."

"But my Lord," protested the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange from behind him. "Surely you did not mean…"

"Silence Bella!" hissed the Dark Lord, as he turned to look at one of his subordinates, a look which promised pain if the woman did not stop. The Dark Lord did not even bother to dispel his voice magnification spell when he insulted the woman (It was an area of effect spell which allowed anyone within that range to be heard, which means that everyone on Hogwarts Express also heard the exchange between the master and one of his servants.) "I alone can decide who can join me. And those two have proven themselves worthy. We will not discuss this further. You have yet to prove yourself to me again, Bella, and that goes with the others as well, who have been unable to accomplish so meager a task that I asked of them."

Bellatrix fell silent, as she fidgeted, half from fear and half from guilt and shame, as did some of the other hooded figures.

"Again, Lord Voldemort repeats, you have proven yourselves worthy and formidable before me, and thus I now ask you to join me, and together we can cleanse the Wizarding World of all of its weaknesses and impurities. You have earned yourselves the right and place to be among my ranks."

The Dark Lord could not have been more pleased with how well things were about to turn for his cause. There were only two possibilities on what was to come next. One, he would have three new gifted and useful allies (For the Dark Lord was sure that Rufus Scrimgeour will be compelled to join his cause if his sister was taken hostage and used as a bargaining chip.). Two, he would be rid of potential threats should they refuse to join. A win-win scenario…

**-BREAK-**

(Sirius, James, Peter POV)

An echoing voice could be heard inside the compartment.

"Children gifted with magic who attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am Lord Voldemort."

"Y-y-y-y-y-y-ou-Know-Who!" squeaked the rat animagus like the rat he is, every nerve in his body trembling with fear.

The day could not have gotten any worse.

At first, when train have stopped seemingly at the wrong destination, Sirius and James had been grumbling, annoyed at what they thought was some kind of major prank, one which the two Marauders had been planning to do on the seventh year on their final train ride home, when they finally graduate.

Now, however, they were nothing short of horrified, The events of the day were nothing compared to the fact that You-Know-Who was there, an army of foul smelly trolls with them.

Yes they were frightened. They were scared out of their wits, stiff, like tone statues, unable to do anything but watch the Dark Lord's army and listen to his voice. Still, they managed to get back some of their senses when You-Know-Who declared that he was not there to kill anyone.

The Dark Lord was recruiting anyone who wished to join him, and they were not surprised to see Slytherins, including Narcissa Black, run out of the train towards the hooded figures, although they were surprised to see a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs doing the same just as eagerly. However, they were snapped fully out of their trance when:

"Severus Prince Snape…Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya…"

"… Lord Voldemort personally offers you a place, among my esteemed Death Eaters."

"…You have earned yourselves the right and place to be among my ranks."

"Snivellus," snarled James and Sirius together, their rage for the greasy git surpassing even their fear for You-Know-Who.

Padfoot and Prongs stared at each other for a while, wordless understanding present between them. Then, the stag animagus nodded, as he pulled out something liquidy and silvery from his trunk, his Invisibility Cloak.

"W-what do you t-think you're d-doing?" asked the rat animagus trembling, as he saw a grim look on the faces of his two friends.

"Going for a stroll," replied James, a grim look on his face, which reflected the one on Sirius' face, as he pulled the Invisibility Cloak over themselves. "You stay here Wormy, it's dangerous. But we have to do this. See you in a bit, I hope."

The two Marauders now slid out of the train, following three people, two girls, one with black-hair, another with white-hair, and a greasy-haired git, heading towards the hooded Death Eaters…

**-BREAK-**

(Multi-person POV)

They were now standing, about ten meters away, in front of Lord Voldemort and his followers, with trolls standing behind and beside the Death Eaters and the new recruits from the Hogwarts Express like bodyguards.

"So we finally meet," said the Dark Lord, amusement in his voice, his eyes glowing evil red. He wore a snake-like face, and had slits for eyelids, he looked intimidating, frighteningly so. Yet…

"I guess so," replied a female voice, which belonged to the white-haired girl Ilya, not a trace of fear in her voice. "Though I don't really know what you want from us. I mean, aren't you supposed to be the most powerful wizard in all of Britain?"

"Not just in Britain, Mudblood," spat a female voice. "The Dark Lord is the greatest sorcerer in the whole world!"

"Bella! Restrain yourself!" hissed Lord Voldemort once again at his subordinate, anger apparent in his voice. "Now, then, first, I would like to…"

"Let me ask you a question, Lord Voldemort," interrupted the white-haired girl. The air suddenly froze.

Severus and Alice could not help but gasp, as the same sound could be heard among the ranks of Death Eaters.

"Ilya!" said Severus to his girlfriend, fearing for her safety.

It was not pleasant. Lord Voldemort was indeed someone to be feared, and now that the raven-haired young man was standing in front of him, he understood why.

It was not the look he had on his face, but rather, the sinister and powerful aura that was coming from him that caused it. There was no doubt about it. The Dark Lord was indeed formidable. He was not someone to mess with. And yet...

"You dare interr…" Lord Voldemort began, anger slowly rising in his voice, but…

"Tell me, Lord Voldemort," said the white-haired girl cheerfully. "What do you think of non-magical people called Muggles, and the witches and wizards who are born among them?"

Another set of gasps from the Death Eaters could be heard, before some of them started talking, outraged that such a low class would dare act in such a way in front of their Lord.

"How dare you…"

"You have no right to speak his name…"

"Speaking to the Dark Lord in such an insolent manner…"

"Treat him with respect…"

"Enough!" the Dark Lord hissed, as all of his followers fell silent, before his eyes narrowed, staring straight into the emerald eyes of the silver-haired girl, who looked back unwaveringly. "I must commend you for your bravery, child. Few have ever been able to speak my name freely, without flinching. You should, however, refrain from trying my patience...for you see…"

"Get to the point…please" the white-haired girl cut the Dark Lord off yet again, sounding irritated, but with a cheerful note present in her tone.

"Very well, child," replied the Dark Lord, his voice still calm, but a dangerous aura was now emanating from him.

And so the Dark Lord began explaining, once again his goal to unite the wizarding world under his rule, how muggles and nonmagical people are trash, along with everything else that he had just recently mentioned, not noticing that the white-haired girl's eyes were drooping, and restrained yawning sounds were coming even from his own Death Eaters, so absorbed was Lord Voldemort with what he was saying.

"Is everything clear to you now, child?" said the Dark Lord, as he finished his speech.

"I think so," replied the white-haired girl, and at this, she rubbed her eyes, in the way people do when they had just gotten up from sleeping. "So in other words, we join you or we die, am I right?"

"Indeed, you are a smart one," said the Dark Lord, nodding his head slightly. "That is precisely correct."

"I see," nodded the white-haired girl, as she started walking to her left, her two companions at her side, while a sword appearing in her hand. "Then, Lord Voldemort, can I ask you one last question?"

"You may, child," replied the Dark Lord. While the wandless magic was something interesting, neither the Dark Lord nor the Death Eaters felt threatened by the sword, as they knew that the girl would be killed or the sword destroyed by their spells before she could get close enough to use it.

The white-haired girl now held the sword with two hands, then slammed it into the ground.

A few moments passed, as Lord Voldemort and his followers stared at the white-haired girl, wondering what it was all about. Could plunging a sword into the ground be the same as sheathing it? Could it be a sign of their surrender to the will of the Dark Lord?...

"Then let me ask you this question," began the white-haired cheerfully…

"Do your subordinates know how to swim?"

"HOW DARE YOU!" shrieked Bellatrix, apparently unable to take the silver-haired girl's attitude any longer.

Voldemort, in the first split second, blinked, confused, but in the next split second, felt furious, as he realized that the girl was playing with him with her words.

"You know, child, your insolence has gone far enough," said Lord Voldemort, staring coldly at the white-haired girl, anger now unmasked in his voice. "I want your ans…" But the Dark Lord was stopped from his sentence as he felt the ground shake violently beneath him, almost making him lose his balance.

"Fufufu," laughed the white-haired girl, and pointed toward something behind Lord Voldemort.

The Dark Lord turned around on reflex and saw…

**-BREAK-**

(Multi-person POV)

"ROOOOOOOOAR!" shouted the trolls in a battlecry, starting to advance, but it was too late…

The ground was breaking apart in all places (Excluding the spot where Severus, Alice, and Ilya, had vacated to.), as trolls and humans alike, began falling, plummeting…

"Incredible," muttered Alice.

"WHAT DID YOU DO, GIRL?!" screamed the Dark Lord in fury. He raised his wand to cast a spell, but before he could even utter it, the ground beneath Lord Voldemort gave way, as he, along with all of his followers, began falling into the dark abyss below, with a loud SPLASH onto the flowing water, an underground river, the ground, rocks and falling debris along with them…

"Fufufu…That's the problem with some people, all talk no bite," said Ilya, a cruel smile on her face. "Lord Voldemort, all powerful wizard, supposedly the greatest Dark Lord to walk on the planet, unmatchable, unbeatable in every aspect…pfft…what a joke…fufufu…ahahahahaha…"

All of a sudden, a cold, cruel, female laugh rang through the air.

"HAHAHAHA"

Screams and roars could be heard, as trolls and humans alike attempted to claw at the collapsing ground, to no avail…

"HAHAHAHA"

The occupants of the Hogwarts Express could not help but gasp, awed into silence, as they watched the unbelievable event unfolding before them, clearly hearing the words that the girl screamed into the night, as the sun finally set…

"YOU'RE A THOUSAND YEARS TOO EARLY TO EVEN THINK OF FACING ME, VOLDEMORT!"

The girl continued laughing, her mirth uncontrollable, undoubtedly at the fact that she made Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark Wizard in existence, look like nothing but a fool…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter out then. Hope you enjoy.

Later then, people...


	32. CHAPTER 30

**CHAPTER 30: DARK TRIO**

(Sirius, James, Peter POV)

None of them spoke. None of them moved, for they were too shocked and shaken by what happened. Only the sound of Wormtail biting at his nails could be heard, as he trembled and shivered.

It was a frightening and shaking ordeal. To have the Dark Lord appearing before them with an army was already terrifying for anyone. Yet…

To see someone actually making You-Know-Who and his followers look like pathetic circus clowns, undoubtedly brought about everyone who witnessed it fear on a totally different level.

Still, James and Sirius greatly envied Peter. At least, he was some distance away from the scene. The two of them, however…

_Why in Merlin's name did we follow them?_ thought the dog animagus and the stag animagus, not noticing that their pants were wet, as something had trickled down uncontrollably before the source dried up.

Padfoot and Prongs, on a stupid whim, and confident that the Invisibility Cloak they have would sufficiently conceal them, followed Severus Snape and his two female companions, thinking that they were about to join You-Know-Who. At the time they were nervous, and were half-wishing they never did, yet…

Now they wished that they never even bothered to do so. Thanks to their little Gryffindor act, James Potter and Sirius Black earned for themselves front row seats to the spectacle of the white-haired girl, and it, brought them nothing but…

Sheer terror…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"That was a close one," said the white-haired girl, as she collapsed onto a set, looking exhausted. "You have no idea just how lucky we all are to still be alive."

The three of them, Severus, Ilya, and Alice, were now back in their compartment. In truth, they actually almost did not make it back, seeing as the Hogwarts Express started moving again the moment the Dark Lord's spell was apparently lifted (Or else it was the fact that the three of them were returning was why the ones in charge of the train started moving it again, since the Hogwarts Express started moving when they started heading back to it. The other occupants of the train actually began panicking and screaming when they did so.).

Severus Snape was at a loss for words. Yes, the raven-haired young man had seen this side of his girlfriend before, but not as menacing as it had been a few minutes back. If he were to be honest with himself, the killing intent he had felt from the white-haired girl actually rivaled that of Lord Voldemort's. Still…

The raven-haired man could tell that the Gryffindor female was also just as shaken as him, if not more, by what they had just experienced, less because of the Dark Lord than it was of what they had seen his silver-haired girlfriend do. In front of Lord Voldemort, she was formidable, dominating, unwavering, deceptive. But what made Severus and Alice (and probably all the other spectators) shocked, worried and horrified most of all was that it appeared that Ilya was just playing around, toying with the Dark Lord. Yet now…

"It's just like I said," said the white-haired girl, and Severus noticed that his girlfriend was actually sweating, as she started wiping them with her handkerchief. "We are lucky to be alive."

"Ilya, are you alright?" asked Severus in a gentle voice, as she wrapped one of her arms around him. To the raven-haired young man's surprise, he realized that she was actually trembling.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Alice in quiet voice, who was sitting opposite the two of them. "What do you mean we're just lucky to be alive?"

"It is exactly what I mean," replied the white-haired, her voice almost monotonous, but Severus noticed the fear that was in her voice.

The black-haired girl snorted, and was about to say something, but stopped, as she noticed that the white-haired girl was looking pale and sweating, as she held on more tightly to her raven-haired boyfriend.

"We were just fortunate," began Ilya, trying to keep her voice calm, but Alice now noted that her voice was slightly shaky. "Really fortunate, that we were attacked there… Had the ambush been somewhere else, things would have been much more difficult, and we could have all died."

The room was silent for a little while, as all the occupants could not find any words to say, as they watched the stars in the dark sky outside.

"But, still," began the black-haired girl, in apparent disbelief. "When you were talking with Y-You-Know-Who, you seemed so…"

"Calm? Fearless? Unwavering? Confident?" inquired the white-haired girl quietly.

Alice nodded.

"It was just an illusion," replied the white-haired girl, as her two companions listened to her intently. "A façade, to fool Voldemort and his followers. To be honest, I was probably just as scared as the two of you. I was merely hiding my emotions so that they will not notice that I have something in store for them. Had my plan not worked… I don't even want to think about what could have happened…"

"Then, wouldn't it have been better if you just ran away?" asked a male voice suddenly, which made the three occupants of the compartment jump, just as something brown launched itself at the white-haired girl, its arms wrapped around the latter.

"MS. ILYA! MR. SEVERUS!" wailed a brown-haired girl, as she detached one of her arms from the white-haired girl, and with unbelievable strength for an eleven year old, wrapped the couple into a tight embrace.

"Evelyn," gasped the white-haired girl and the raven-haired boy together, as they experienced a not-so-surprising breathing difficulty, the brown-haired girl squeezing them both…

**-BREAK-**

(Albus Dumbledore POV)

Albus Dumbledore was deep in thought. He was torn between being glad that his students were mostly safe, and being worried about the events that led to their salvation.

Tom Riddle's move on the Hogwarts Express was a possibility Dumbledore overlooked, one of the miscalculations which he blamed to his ever-growing-older self. When the old wizard read the letter sent to him by Alastor Moody, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and one of the Aurors who responded to the Auror Head's unofficial order to protect the train, he felt shocked but relieved, shocked that he could have made such a blunder that could have caused the death of his students, yet glad that most of them were okay, though Dumbledore still could not help but feel sad that there were a few of the students who were swayed by Voldemort to joining him…

And this was the worrying part. According to Moody, Lord Voldemort brought an army with him, yet they were taken down by three people.

At first Dumbledore was confused, but then noticed that there was also a vial attached to the letter, a vial which contained a silver strand: a memory.

Dumbledore immediately placed the memory into his Pensieve, and dove into it to observe…

And the old Headmaster was dumbstruck…

The memory belonged to one of the students on the Hogwarts Express, who witnessed the whole spectacle, from beginning to end…

_Flashback_

_"Children gifted with magic who attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am Lord Voldemort…"_

_"It is as my follower told you," said Lord Voldemort, as his cold voice echoed throughout the train compartments. "We have not come to harm nor hurt any of you, who are children of magic … Those who are still undecided may continue their journey to Hogwarts… Lord Voldemort does not intend to impede your magical education…Those who are ready to follow me however, may come with us now, provided that you are of age… I guarantee that you will provided with magical learning far greater than what has been taught to you at your school…"_

_"Severus Prince Snape…Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya…Evelyn Scrimgeour… you are to remain…you are to step out of the Hogwarts Express…the rest may continue with your journey …"_

_"…Lord Voldemort personally offers you a place, among my esteemed Death Eaters…"_

_"…I now ask you to join me, and together we can cleanse the Wizarding World of all of its weaknesses and impurities. You have earned yourselves the right and place to be among my ranks..."_

_"So we finally meet.."_

_"I guess so," replied the white-haired girl._

_"Ilya!"_

_…_

_"You dare interr…" _

_"Tell me, Lord Voldemort," said the white-haired girl cheerfully. "What do you think of non-magical people called Muggles, and the witches and wizards who are born among them?"_

_…_

_"How dare you…"_

_"You have no right to speak his name…"_

_"Speaking to the Dark Lord in such an insolent manner…"_

_"Treat him with respect…"_

_…_

_"Enough… I must commend you for your bravery, child. Few have ever been able to speak my name freely, without flinching. You should, however, refrain from trying my patience...for you see…"_

_"Get to the point…please…" _

_"...So in other words, we join you or we die, am I right?"_

_…_

_ "Do your subordinates know how to swim?"_

_…_

_"ROOOOOOOOAR!" _

_The ground was breaking apart …_

_"WHAT DID YOU DO, GIRL?"…_

_"Fufufu…That's the problem with some people, all talk no bite… Lord Voldemort, all powerful wizard, supposedly the greatest Dark Lord to walk on the planet, unmatchable, unbeatable in every aspect…pfft…what a joke…fufufu…ahahahahaha…" _

_…a cold, cruel, female laugh rang through the air._

_"HAHAHAHA"_

_Screams and roars could be heard, as trolls and humans alike attempted to claw at the collapsing ground, to no avail…_

_"HAHAHAHA"_

_"YOU'RE A THOUSAND YEARS TOO EARLY TO EVEN THINK YOU HAD A CHANCE AGAINST ME, VOLDEMORT!"_

_The girl continued laughing, her mirth uncontrollable…_

_End of Flashback_

Albus Dumbledore was a formidable man. Yes, he was a great wizard, and with his power he could easily match Voldemort in a one on one duel and prevail, though it was a 50-50 chance. For years now, ever since Tom Riddle had returned to the country and began his campaign, Dumbledore did what he could to stop his evil plans. Yet now…

_Just who is she? _thought the Hogwarts Headmaster.

The Hogwarts Headmaster could not help but gasp, as he watched the events unfold, hearing the entirety of the conversations no-less, as they reverberated throughout the train compartments.

In the very rare incidences that the Dark Lord himself appeared in person, no one has been able to best him and his Death Eaters. Yet…

This girl managed to do what even Dumbledore could not achieve. Not only had Voldemort been defeated, but it was in one of the worst and humiliating ways.

Despite the distance, Albus Dumbledore could tell what happened. The girl merely used psychological warfare on Lord Voldemort. Then, calculating the right moment, she used the geography and her enemies' numbers, as well as total weight, to her advantage, and with a meager amount of magical energy, judging by the splashing noise, sent Tom Riddle and his army plummeting to an underground lake or river.

Yes indeed. The Headmaster was impressed, yet not exactly in a good way… Lord Voldemort was undoubtedly an expert in Occlumency, even during his teens (as Dumbledore found it hard to penetrate the Dark Lord's mind even when he was still Dumbledore's student.), which of course meant he was also good at Legilimency, or reading minds. The fact that someone like Tom Riddle was tricked by the silver-haired girl tells just how good at it she was. It will be difficult to get anything out of her.

As he thought further, he recalled how his friend Ollivander had once asked Dumbledore to visit him at Diagon Alley. And then he remembered.

The silver-haired girl, her name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya.

Yes, she was the student who passed the entrance exam and was about to start her fifth year at Hogwarts. The Headmaster did not give it too much attention at the time as he was too busy with Order of the Phoenix matters, but then…

She was chosen by a wand, the wand, which was in fact, the sibling of the wand in the hands of the Dark Lord, both wands containing a phoenix feather from the same source, which turned out to be Dumbledore's companion Fawkes the Phoenix…

Dumbledore stood up, and started pacing to and fro in his room…

The news in the Daily Prophet...While it was only passed on as rumor, it was said that a silver-haired girl and a raven-haired young man had confronted and battered the Death Eaters before the Aurors arrived. This was all hushed up, and the head of the Order did not see it to have much relevance at the time, but now it was different…

And the Evans incident…

Alastor had once told Dumbledore that there was also a rumor about a young couple who took on seventeen Dark Wizards, seven Death Eaters and ten werewolves, all by themselves, delaying them long enough for the Ministry Wizards to arrive. Moody himself confessed that he did not know everything, as the Order Member suspected that the four Aurors who knew all of the information, left out certain details from the report they made…

Still, with this much information, Albus Dumbledore was able to come up with some theories, theories which he will soon confirm…

The ones who fought the Death Eaters at Diagon Alley, the ones who fought and delayed them at the Evans, were two of the three people who confronted Lord Voldemort during the train incident, and the same ones who Tom Riddle wanted to recruit for his army…

Severus Prince Snape and Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

_"Colloportus,"_ muttered a brown-haired man, as he locked the room and cast a Privacy Ward, (unaware that there is a Bounded Field in place that could serve the same function, or more), before taking a seat beside the black-haired Gryffindor.

It took about fifteen minutes for the brown-haired young girl to fall asleep, during which time Ilya and Severus introduced her and her brother, the Auror, Rufus Scrimegour, to Alice, who was initially wary of the man, as he managed to sneak up on them (The white-haired girl was not pleased with herself, for neglecting to place a detection mechanism on the Bounded Field, something that was supposed to be basic, even if it was only temporary.).

Rufus, as well as two other Aurors (though Severus, Ilya, and Alice have not yet seen them), arrived on the train through the Port Key which the Dark Wizard Catcher had locked on to his sister(It was Evelyn who sent a message to his brother using a two-way mirror). He had suspected that something similar could happen, but never expected it to be of this magnitude, a multitude of trolls, Death Eaters, and even the Dark Lord himself appeared…

Now that the brown-haired girl was asleep, the four other occupants were now able to discuss more freely. (In other words, Ilya did most of the talking while Severus and Alice listened.)

"…So, basically, that's what happened," conversed the white-haired girl. "And as I said, we're just lucky to be alive."

"I see," said the brown-haired man finally, looking at the other three in the eyes, and finding that there were no lies in them. "Still, I must admit, that was very impressive. How did you know that the ground was unstable?"

"Magic," replied Ilya simply.

The Auror frowned, apparently able to tell that the white-haired girl was refraining from answering the question…

"So, anyway, Rufus," the white-haired girl began, and her voice suddenly turned cold. "Why is it that only two Aurors, aside from yourself, responded to the situation? Did I not tell you that the possibility of an attack on the Hogwarts Express was high? "

At these words the temperature of the room seemed to drop. The raven-haired young man and the black-haired girl could not help but stare at Ilya, who Rufus Scrimgeour, the well-known Dark Wizard Catcher seemed to treat, not as an underage witch, but as an equal.

"Politics," growled the Dark Wizard catcher, obvious irritation in his voice. "As I told you before, I myself have come to that idea, but without any evidence to back it, we could not make a move, even the Head of the Auror Office had only so much influence. To be honest, my colleagues and I are here only with discreet permission from him. This is not official."

"But why is that?" inquired the white-haired girl. "I mean, you did respond rather quickly to the attacks on the second of August."

"That's because the situation was different then," growled Rufus. "Diagon Alley was just a few blocks away from the Ministry, so that comes as no surprise. As for the incident at the Evans residence, it was just a few hours from the last Death Eater encounter, so the Ministry was still on high alert. Right now, however, Voldemort has not made a move in a few weeks, and sadly, it has put the Ministry under a false sense of security."

"I doubt that could have been the only reason," stated Ilya, as her emerald eyes grew ever colder, staring at Evelyn's brother.

"What you're thinking is correct," said the Auror grimly, as he seemed to understand the white-haired girl's thoughts. "Lord Voldemort has spies in the Ministry, even in the higher places. They're probably responsible for cancelling the order which states that Aurors should be sent to guard the students on the Hogwarts Express."

"WHAT?!" said Severus and Alice together, looking outraged.

"I WANT MORE CHOCOLATE FROGS!" shouted the brown-haired girl in her sleep suddenly, with her head currently on Ilya's lap.

The white-haired girl sighed.

"I think we should discuss more on this matter later," said Ilya, as Rufus nodded, and collected her sister, carrying her gently so as not to wake her.

"Oh, by the way," Ilya called after the Auror, before he could open the door that he had just unspelled…

"When did you arrive on the train?" the white-haired inquired.

The Auror was silent for a while, before answering…

"We arrived just in time to hear you ask Voldemort if his subordinates knew how to swim," said the brown-haired man with a smirk.

"You heard that?" asked the white-haired girl, mildly surprised.

"Yes, we did," replied the Auror. "Loud and clear… As well as everything else after that…"

"Am I to assume they did not take it well?" asked Ilya, knowing the answer.

"Not as well as I did, I'm afraid," sighed the Auror. "Alastor actually wanted to take you in for questioning right away. I managed to convince them not to on the obvious grounds that you just saved almost the entire population of Hogwarts students…which they obviously disregarded."

"I see," replied the white-haired girl, frowning. "It can't be helped though. At least the students were saved… though I doubt they would be grateful for our actions."

"You have no idea," said Rufus, with a pitying look on his face. "They have completely overlooked that fact, and are now afraid of you. I hope you don't let it get to you, but on our way to your compartment, my sister and I heard some of the students either screaming or whispering, calling you the Dark Lady."

Severus' eyes widened at this piece of information, and noticed that the female Gryffindor's reacted in the manner. Ilya however, as the raven-haired boy noticed, on the other hand, merely smirked…

"Anyway, Ilya, Severus, Alice, I'll be seeing you again soon… perhaps sooner than you might think," said the brown-haired Auror. "The train is slowing down...we'll probably be at Hogsmaede in ten minutes, you better go and get yourselves changed." And Rufus closed the compartment door as he left with his sister in tow…

**-BREAK-**

(Multi-person POV)

In an unknown location, deep underground, if anyone looked, they would notice that powerful bursts of green light can be seen, in the place which is normally pitch black in darkness…

"AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!" screamed the Dark Lord, as he sent curses left and right with no particular target, sending it in any and all direction, and would have taken the life of anyone who was foolish enough to appear in front of him…

Luckily, his followers had enough common sense not to get into his line of sight… but the trolls were not so lucky, and around a dozen of them were killed before the rest got the message and hid behind boulders…

"I think it would be wise to let our Lord vent out all his anger first before we try and speak with him," muttered the voice of Lucius Malfoy, who was soaking wet. "Specially you, Bella…" drawled the blonde with a sneer.

The former Black wanted to retort, but decided against it. Cissy was there with them, and Bellatrix knew that Narcissa liked Lucius…

"So what do we do now Lucius?" inquired Narcissa Black.

"We wait," the blond said firmly, as a Killing Curse shattered the boulder immediately to their left. "We wait until the Dark Lord calms down. Then, we move to one of our manors… I must admit… I've never seen our Lord with this much fury before… and folly it will be to try and appease him at this point…"

The other Death Eaters, and even the trolls who can understand and were within earshot nodded silently, as they continued to hide… er… hold their position…

"ARRRRGHHHH! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE! NOBODY MAKES A FOOL OUT OF LORD VOLDEMORT AND GET AWAY WITH IT! NOBODY!"

The Dark Lord continued his yells and curses, promising a swift death to anyone who catches his vision, Voldemort swearing to have his retribution on the silver-haired girl who made him look pathetic…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"OH NO!"

"IT'S THE DARK TRIO!"

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

"Well, isn't this lovely," said the black-haired Gryffindor, Alice, sarcastically, as students were hurrying, as fast as they could to get on the horseless carriages, which were actually pulled by thestrals. They were supposed to be invisible, yet those who have seen people die in front of them can see them…

And this particular aspect applies to all three of them, Severus and Alice had seen their mothers die (The Gryffindor had mentioned it briefly when she and Ilya were discussing the proper use of blades), while Ilya… well… Severus could only guess just how many, and it couldn't have been less than five... not exactly a pleasant thought…

Unfortunately, all the carriages were occupied, and they had no choice but to wait for the carriages to return (since it will be too tiring to walk the distance with the luggage they were carrying) , and the three of them decided to use the time to take a little leisurely stroll.

"I'm really sorry for getting you involved in this Alice," said the white-haired girl, sincerely apologetic.

"No, it's okay, Ilya, neither you nor Severus is at fault here," replied the black-haired Gryffindor female firmly. "After all, I was the one who got myself involved in the first place."

"But will you be fine with this?" inquired Severus, who was also truly concerned for Alice. "I mean, your fellow Gryffindors…"

"…will probably treat me badly like I'm some kind of traitorous wench, right?" the black-haired female completed the statement for him, in a mock tone.

The raven-haired young man nodded silently.

"Well, they can do what they want," continued Alice. She was walking in front of the Ilya and Severus (who were holding hands), taking backward steps. "The two of you are my friends now and I don't care what other people say about that. Doesn't matter to me even if you are a Slytherin Severus, and even if Ilya also ends up going there…Ilya saved their lives back there and this is how they say thank you? Now that's not being thankful at all."

"Thank you," replied Ilya, with a smile on her face, her cheeks growing slightly reddish, touched by the black-haired girl's remarks.

"No, I should be the one thanking the two of you," replied Alice. "You've opened my eyes to the truth.. you're right Ilya… doesn't matter what House you're in, or even if you can use magic or not… when it comes right down it… we're all just human beings… though I must admit that hairstyle looks good on you, Severus." The black-haired girl said suddenly with a malicious smirk…

"My hair, what do you…" Severus began, feeling confused, but he froze when Alice suddenly brought a mirror in front of him…

"WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN DID YOU DO TO ME?!" roared Severus, as he saw that his hair was no longer long, but cut neatly…

The raven-haired young man could not help but panic, like a madman, as he looked at himself. For his hair was no longer long and sleek, it was now short, and stuck out in strange angles, and it reminded the raven-haired (at least the hair color was not tempered with, and is still raveny black) young man of a certain hated individual who also sported messy hair. Still..

The main reason why Severus Snape had kept his hair long was because it helped protect his eyes from the fumes whenever he was doing Potions experiments, which was a daily habit of his at Hogwarts, even if there was no Potions lessons, (although if he had enough ingredients he would also do so at home, and since he was not exactly rich, well you get the picture.).

"You," snarled the now semi-spiky haired young man **(note: from this point on the author will still use the phrase raven-haired as a substitute when referring to Severus Snape)**, about to launch himself at the Gryffindor female, but found himself unable to as a certain white-haired female tightened her grip around his arm.

"I'm sorry, Sev," began the white-haired girl, who was red in the face. "I asked her to do it."

"Ilya?" the raven-haired boy inquired of her girlfriend.

"Yes, she did," said Alice, grinning. "Hey, come on, now Severus… it looks good on you, honest."

Still, Severus could not help but feel a little betrayed. There was no doubt in his mind. The two conspired to do something weird with his hair, and did it while he was asleep. That was underhanded. Still…

"Why, Ilya?" the raven-haired young man asked, hurt in his voice.

"It's because…that hair style," began the white-haired girl, and Severus was mortified to see that tears were beginning to form in her eyes. "It's actually…the same as my father's."

Upon hearing these words, the raven-haired young man dropped his personal frustration and hurt on the issue. Ilya merely wanted to see something to remember his father by…

Silence reigned between the three for a short while…

"It's okay, I understand," said Severus to his girlfriend, stroking her hair gently...

"Thank you," the white-haired girl replied, and without warning, Ilya lifted herself slightly and kissed him…

"So it really was like that, huh?"" said the Gryffindor female named Alice, a wide smile on her face.

The couple broke off from each other's arms, feeling embarrassed, both really red in the face.

"Ummm…" stuttered Ilya.

"Well, y-you see," stammered Severus.

"No, it's fine, really," said the black-haired girl, though a mischievous smile was still visible on her face. "I won't ask you about that… but if you feel like telling me, I'm all ears."

"You should have been in Ravenclaw, Alice," said the raven-haired boy, still blushing. "Love of knowledge is their specialty after all."

"And you should have been in Gryffindor, Severus… same goes for you Ilya," replied the black-haired girl, the smile on her face, if possible, widening further. "If I remember correctly…you two were actually brave enough to publicly make out on the train, and in the continuous stare of one, spell-bound, James Potter, no less."

"Whaaa…" said Severus, as he remembered the little incident in the train a few hours ago.

"And if I also remember correctly, it was Ilya who had you pinned down to the floor," Alice added, the smile still on her face.

_Dear, Merlin,_ thought Severus, as he tried to keep himself calm… _wait… something's doesn't feel right…_

"H-hey, that was an acci… _PROTEGO_!" shouted the white-haired girl suddenly, just in time, as the shield blocked a jet of red light aimed at the black-haired Gryffindor…

Though there was actually no need, as Alice already ducked, before moving closer towards the two of them.

"Sev, Alice," said Ilya, the carefree tone gone from her voice, replaced by her cold demeanor.

The raven-haired young man and the black-haired girl nodded, as the latter pulled out her wand, while the former activated his Magic Circuits…

"That was an interesting display… you did not even bother to bring out your wand…so the rumors were not entirely false, then," said a curt voice, as a dark-grayish-haired man, along with five others, came out of the shadows.

"Good evening," the man began. "My name is Bartemius Crouch Sr., Head of the Department For Magical Law Enforcement. I am here to take you in for questioning…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out.

I've been reading the reviews, and yeah, a couple have begun speculating on Lily and Ilya's identities. Well, for starters, Ilya is not an alternate universe version of Lily Evans.

Hope you enjoy this chapter. Um, by the way...

If someone could help me think of a better for the three of them aside from "Dark Trio," please post it in the reviews or pm it to me... it would be highly appreciated...

As for Severus Snape's current hair style, just look at the images of Kiritsugu Emiya from Fate/Zero.

Later then people...


	33. CHAPTER 31

**CHAPTER 31: HAT OFF**

(Severus POV)

Five people were currently getting out of a seemingly horseless carriage, near the front gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

_Flashback_

_(Severus POV)_

_"I think you should stop there, Crouch," said the brown-haired Auror to the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as he arrived at the scene, accompanied by a dark-purple-haired female, (who Severus guessed was probably also an Auror.) "This matter is under the jurisdiction of the Auror Office. You have no authority here."_

_It was fortunate that Rufus Scrimgeour appeared when he did, before anything else could happen._

_"No authority?" asked the grey-haired man in his curt voice, but with a note of incredulity. "Need I remind you, Scrimgeour, that the Auror Office happen to be under my department, which means that you Aurors, as well as your head of office, are also under me. And as of right now, I am ordering you to hand over those three to my custody, unless you want to be hauled in for insubordination?"_

_"Richard's my boss, Crouch, not you," said Scrimgeour. "And before you start accusing me of anything else… here…" At this the brown-haired man approached the grey-haired man, handing him a piece of parchment."_

_Crouch was silent for a few minutes, before rolling up the parchment and handing it back to the brown-haired Auror whose face was impassive except for a triumphant look that flashed across his face for an instant, before returning to its emotionless state._

_"We have a direct order, Crouch," began the brown-haired Auror. "Ms. Emiya and her companions are directly under my wing… They are not to be touched… Unless of course you want me to report you to the Minister and have him order to haul you in for insubordination?"_

_Silence reigned for while…_

_"Very well," replied the Magical Law Enforcer Head finally, his voice still civil, but with a badly hidden note of anger and irritation in it. "I will leave this matter to you then… Come, we're leaving."_

_Crouch left with his subordinates, but not without giving each one of them a piercing gaze, before turning on the spot and Apparating, leaving the three underage magicians with the two Aurors…_

_End of Flashback_

"…still, I think the three of you should tread carefully," said Rufus, as he got back onto the carriage where his fellow Auror was waiting for him (The purple-haired female was silent the entire time, and Severus guessed that she was probably not as comfortable as her colleague was with their presence, though after everything that happened, it was not surprising.). "Crouch is bound to try other means to try and get information out of you… He's not one to back down easily…"

"I know," replied the white-haired girl, nodding in agreement. "I can see it in his eyes… we'll be ready for him though, so there's no need to worry… compared to Voldemort, he'll be a piece of cake…"

"I'm not so sure about that," replied the Dark Wizard Catcher, a reprimanding note in his voice. "Voldemort may be the most powerful wizard in Britain, but Crouch is no pushover either… and after what happened, they probably aren't the only ones after you now…and as you said yourself, it was just luck and coincidence that allowed you to pull that one off on the Dark Lord…"

"Point taken," said the white-haired seriously, as she, as well as Alice and Severus, waved their hands, as the thestral-pulled carriage started moving. "Underestimating the enemy can have dire consequences after all… we'll be sure to constantly keep our guard up then…"

**-BREAK-**

(Minerva McGonagall POV)

"DAVIES, RICARDO!" shouted a stern-faced woman, as a boy ran towards the stool, and placed his head under a tattered looking hat. After a few seconds…

"GRYFFINDOR" a hat shouted…

Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as well as Head of the Gryffindor House, and the Transfiguration teacher, could not help but sigh. In the many years she had been at Hogwarts, both as a student and as a teacher, this was one of the strangest Sorting Ceremonies she had attended.

Normally, the Sorting was a lively event. Before, whenever a student was Sorted, the table of the House would he was Sorted into would normally erupt into cheer, as they welcomed the new part of their family. Now, however…

Silence… No clapping, no cheer, no nothing, not even booes and negative mutterings could be heard when the Sorting Hat placed Charles Greengrass into Slytherin (which became a common occurrence from three out of four of the tables ever since Lord Voldemort started his campaigns). Instead, everyone was still and quiet. Even the Marauders, namely one James Potter and Sirius Black, who were usually stirring things up every year from beginning to end, were unusually well-behaved, and this puzzled their Head of House.

McGonagall knew about what happened at the train, although only in summary. According to the information the Head Master told her briefly, promising to tell her the rest of the details later, the Hogwarts Express was stopped by some Death Eaters (as well as the fact that You-Know-Who appeared personally, which made McGonagall gasp in horror), apparently recruiting new members, and sadly some of the older students were swayed and went with them, although only a very few, before they left and allowed the rest to go on their way. Still, as far as Minerva could tell, thankfully, nobody was harmed…

Yes, it was a traumatic experience, the Deputy Headmistress knew, and the silent and defensive mannerism of the students was to be expected, and she sympathized with them. McGonagall could only imagine how frightened they were.

At first, the Minerva argued with Albus Dumbledore, telling him that due to the recent events, \ it would be better to forego the Sorting for the next day, but the old man told her that it was all the more reason to proceed with the festivities and entrance ceremony to help the students move on from the shaking experience and be able to relax with the fact that everything was still normal. At these words, she was convinced. Dumbledore may act a bit insane, but in truth he was actually full of wisdom, and truly concerned for his students. McGonagall finally agreed inwardly that it would be the better option…

Still, there was one more thing that was bothering McGonagall, and it wasn't about You-Know-Who…

No, it was the fact that the students did not even seem to be bothering about You-Know-Who that the Deputy Headmistress found really strange…

After the Hogwarts Express incident, McGonagall, (and she was sure it was the same with her other colleagues), thought that the students would definitely be talking and whispering about the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. Instead, however…

_Flashback_

_"Those poor Death Eaters… even though they deserved it…"_

_"I almost feel sorry for You-Know-Who…" _

_"She's evil, I tell you… evil…"_

_End of Flashback_

Minerva McGonagall was worried and confused by their whisperings. _The Dark Lady? But wasn't You-Know-Who male? And why did they say they were sorry for You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters… _

All throughout the Sorting, this particular thought went through the Deputy Headmistress mind, although her pondering was not easily visible on her face, as it remained stern and impassive, even though there were questions swirling through her head… The question as to who, however…

"SORRY WE'RE LATE!" shouted a cheerful female voice, which sounded a lot like one of her Gryffindors.

…was answered when as the door to the Great Hall burst open and three individuals entered…

Now McGonagall understood why. Before the students were allowed to enter the Great Hall, Dumbledore had instructed they were required to drink a chocolate energy drink to allow them to reenergize and recover their strengths, but in truth the supposed tonic were secretly laced with a Calming Draught, which were supposed to have the opposite effect…

Some students gasped loudly, while a few fainted. The rest just stared warily at three newcomers, fear evident in their eyes, breathing and reaction.

"D-Dark Trio…"

"It's them…"

"It's her…"

Minerva McGonagall did not need to think of what would have happened had the students not been made to drink the Calming potion, knowing full well the pandemonium that could have taken place, as she heard one of the students gasp in an almost-scream, pointing her finger at the silver-haired girl, who was walking in the middle, the other two beside her…

"It's the Dark Lady!"

**-BREAK-**

(Alice POV)

Their entrance to the Great Hall caused quite a bit of stir, though not as much as Alice expected, and the black-haired Gryffindor suspected that some enchantment may have been involved. Still, she was thankful for the fact that Professor McGonagall was her usual self, reprimanding, as she always did, students who entered late for the Sorting Ceremony, and immediately commanded Severus and Alice to sit with their respective Houses, while Ilya was told to wait in line, as the transferees were always sorted last. Giving her two friends a quick wave and mouthing the words "later," Alice went off and headed towards the Gryffindor table…

_I should have expected this,_ sighed the black-haired Gryffindor to herself, as Murray, Nelson, was Sorted into Hufflepuff.

Alice could not help but feel slightly saddened at the fact that every member of Gryffindor House, (including the Marauders, Remus, Lily, Bridget and Rachelle) were staying away from her, though as for Lily's case…

In truth, Alice Sera Chaucer never actually cared about the House traditions, among these are the "Slytherins are everyone's enemy" and "Slytherins are evil" sort of thing. The black-haired girl actually thought it was stupid. Still, she had no choice but to keep up her act and conform, not wanting to be shunned and isolated by her fellow Gryffindors…

And this was the main reason why Alice gravitated towards Lily Evans. The fiery-haired girl was similar to her in this aspect, and the black-haired girl could not help but envy her a little, as she was not afraid of possible repercussions, being friends with Severus Snape who was Sorted into Slytherin. Well, at first, anyway…

As the years dragged on, Alice could not help but notice that the friendship between the two was becoming more and more strained (which finally ended during the M-word incident), both being influenced further by the beliefs of their respected Houses. It made the black-haired girl sad that Lily, the friend she used to admire for her strength in her own beliefs, was eventually swayed into abandoning them and becoming like everyone else. Slowly, they too, were drifting apart, the black-haired girl spending less and less time with the red-haired girl, and Alice was thankful that she could use having a boyfriend as an excuse for being distant to Lily. And speaking of Frank…

In truth, Frank Longbottom was someone who could be said to be the perfect gentleman. He was kind, well-mannered, has a good family background, as well as having good grades. Alice liked these aspects about him, as well as the fact that the guy wanted to take it slowly. They have been dating since the beginning of fourth year (Frank was the one who confessed, of course), and so far nothing has happened between them that was beyond kissing and holding hands. The black-haired girl, though still unsure of her own feelings, agreed to date Frank, though given more time, it could blossom (Alice had never yet told Frank the "I love you too.")...

Unfortunately, Frank Longbottom also held on to the traditional Gryffindorish customs, and given what had happened, Alice did not know how he would react to it. Will he choose Alice, or will he abandon her, choosing his beliefs over his feelings of love (if they were true)? Alice did not yet know the answer to these questions, but she will soon enough when her boyfriend got better.

Still, despite the things that happened, despite becoming isolated from the rest of the Gryffindors, being shunned and dreaded by those who once called themselves her friends…

_I feel great,_ thought the black-haired female, as she stretched her arms and yawned (She could stretch as much as she wanted to since the chairs on either side of her were vacant, and the same could be said about Severus Snape, as Alice observed, on the Slytherin table.).

Yes, Alice Sera Chaucer could not help but feel glad, as a great weight seemed to have been lifted from her shoulders. She was free. No longer was she using an illusion, no longer was she wearing a face that was not her own, hiding behind a mask of indifference, and it was all thanks to her friends Ilya and Severus. Thanks to them, Alice was finally able…

to be herself…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

Severus Snape could not help but feel slightly nervous.

Ever since they entered the Great Hall, it had been bad enough that everyone had been staring at them, and when he finally sat down at the Slytherin table upon the Headmistress' command, the raven-haired boy found it even worse.

His fellow Slytherins, including those he was once in good terms with, were now giving him quick side glances, and the raven-haired young man could tell, from the surge of magical energy in the surroundings, that they felt a mixture of fear and enmity towards him. Well, he could tell that the same could be said about just about every student who were on board the Hogwarts Express, but the Slytherins were focusing the hatred on Severus, and the raven-haired young man guessed that it was because they now saw him as a traitor. The raven-haired young man was grateful that their fear greatly outweighed their hatred (as they vacated the seats immediately beside Severus'), otherwise, it could not have gone well.

Still, Severus nervousness was nothing compared to the great irritation and annoyance he felt with the fact that all of the students in there both feared and hated them, calling them the Dark Trio, although the raven-haired young man was specially sickened by the fact that most of it was directed toward Ilya, who they were now referring to as the Dark Lady.

_After what she's done for them, when she could have chosen not to,_ thought Severus bitterly, as Zacharias. Bernard, was Sorted into Hufflepuff. Some of the Slytherins who were staring at him gasped and quickly looked away, apparently noticing the fury that appeared on the raven-haired young man's face…

"EMIYA, ILYASVEIL VON EINZBERN!"

Severus was suddenly awakened from his thoughts as he heard that the name of his girlfriend was called. It was finally her turn.

The Great Hall, which was already almost noiseless, save for the low whispers and the shouts of McGonagall and the Sorting Hat, was now completely tense and quiet, save for the humming of Ilya, who skipped in a child-like manner as she approached the stool meant for an eleven year old, took the hat, and put it over her head…

All eyes were on the white-haired girl, as she wore the oversized Hat, which covered her face. as the Hat's size would fit the head of a half giant perfectly…

The Sorting was taking a while. Minutes, which felt like hours, passed as the white-haired girl continued to sit on the stool. Then…

"GRYFFIN… WHA-WHAT DID YOU SAY, CHILD!?"

Severus could not help but be curious (Although much more relieved that the sentence was not finished, for he did not want to be separated from her), and as he noticed, even the other people in the Great Hall seemed to have forgotten their fear temporarily, as for the first time in history, the Sorting Hat, which was about to sort a student into a House, stopped midway in its sentence…

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"EMIYA, ILYASVEIL VON EINZBERN!"

Without a mind to the unpleasant stares she was receiving, Ilya walked cheerfully skipped towards the center of the Great Hall, then put the old Sorting Hat over her head.

The white-haired girl knew. She recognized it. The Hat, basically, was alive. It had a soul, a mind of its own. Ilya did not yet understand it completely, but there were things in this world of magic that she could not fully comprehend, among these are the portraits that could talk and communicate with people.

When they were at the entrance hall, Ilya saw a tough-looking man, who she assumed could either be one of the teachers or, based from the clothes, the school's utility worker, carrying a portrait.

Unlike the moving pictures she was used to seeing in the Daily Prophet, which were simply animated to move like videos by magical energy, the people in the portraits could actually talk, and even communicate with the real world, as the balding man in the portrait was asking the carrier if he could do so more gently and avoid hitting the walls.

It was as if the image of the person was alive. No, it was alive, and it had a soul. Ilya made a mental note to do more research on them later. For now, though…

_Hmmm….interesting…you're an interesting one child…_ whispered a cheerful voice, which Ilya knew was the Sorting Hat's, whispering in her ear. _But first, if you don't mind, please take down the shield you placed around your mind. I cannot Sort you properly if I don't know anything much about you, I'm afraid…_

_I see,_ mused the white-haired girl to herself. _So, this Hat sorts children by invading into people's privacy…lousy Hat…_

Thankfully, ever since they have entered the Hogwarts Grounds, Ilya had kept her Magic Circuits activated (as well as instructing her boyfriend to do the same) to prevent any outside prana from invading her body, specifically her mind. The white-haired girl had read a bit about Occlumency and Legilimency from Severus' old books, and noticed that the skill actually involve developing a form of mind-reading-related Mystic Eyes. Of course, direct eye contact was necessary to make a prana connection, allowing to the mind, but that did not mean there were other ways to make the connection, which was exactly what the Sorting Hat was trying to do to her. Fortunately for Ilya, and unfortunately for the Hat…

_Too can play at that game,_ smirked the white-haired girl.

Further strengthening her mind shield by putting more od into her circuits, Ilya allowed the Hat to see some of her memories, all of which involving simple things, like cooking dinner, walking in a park, but never allowing it to see vital information, although she did allow the hat to see parts of their confrontation with the Death Eaters at Diagon Alley and the Evans Residence (though the parts where Ilya and Sev were using magic were removed, only the conversation was seen by the Hat).

_Hmmm… you're still really careful, although you have nothing to worry about, since I was made to never reveal any of the information I got from those I Sorted… then again you still ended up letting a few things slip through despite your Occlumency Shield… fighting for what's right when the odds are against you… you are brave… very brave indeed… _

The Hat stopped whispering, as it made its decision…

"GRYFFIN…" it began…but suddenly stopped dead on its tracks.

_Gryffindor was gay wasn't he? _thought Ilya, and she sent the mental message to the Hat.

"WHA-WHAT DID YOU SAY, CHILD!?"

_I said… Gryffindor was gay, wasn't he?_ repeated Ilya mentally. _Come now hat, stop whispering, and let us talk with our minds instead._

The Hat was silent for a few seconds before it clicked…

_Y-you,_ said the Hat mentally, no longer whispering in Ilya's ear, an awed note in its tone. _You were reading my mind? _

_Mmmm…_ thought Ilya.

_But how… not even Albus or Tom…_thought the Hat in wonder.

_Oh…they would have been able to do so easily had they thought about doing it… though fortunately for you they did not seem to have even bothered….but enough about that… it's best that we get down to business…_

_Business? _inquired the Sorting Hat. _What business could I transact aside from Sorting students?_

_Well, for starters,_ thought Ilya cheerfully, knowing full well that the Hat cannot read her mind while she on the contrary, had a clear view of its memories. _I want you to put me in Ravenclaw. After all, they do have the best dormitories._

_Hmmm… I still think that you would be better in Gryffindor… though I suppose it wouldn't be a problem… _replied the Hat, its thought tone cheerful. _I have always granted the personal requests of students to be put in respective Houses whenever they asked. Albus' talents were best in Slytherin, but as he asked to be put in Gryffindor… _

_Oh, and I thought you were supposed to keep what you learn from those you Sort a secret?_ mused the white-haired girl. _It appears that you weren't being honest…_

_Sorry about that child,_ replied the Hat in a sheepish thought tone. _Couldn't believe I slipped…It's just that it's been a long time since someone aside from Albus actually bothered to strike up a conversation with me… I miss those days when you know, my creators were still alive…_

_No, it's fine, I understand,_ replied the white-haired girl cheerfully.

_So you want to go to Ravenclaw?_ thought the Sorting Hat. _Very well…_

_Yes, but that's not all, there's something else,_ thought the white-haired girl, frowning at the Hat's apparent hurry.

_What is it, child?_ asked the Hat, curiosity in its thought tone. _I doubt there is anything more I could do for you…_

_Yes there is, _thought Ilya. _I want you to resort Severus Snape and Alice Chaucer into Ravenclaw as well…_

**-BREAK-**

(Minerva McGonagall POV)

"WHAT?!" shouted a surprised voice, which could only belong to the Sorting Hat.

It has been almost a quarter of an hour since the hat's first sudden outburst, which means that the white-haired girl had been on the stool for almost twenty minutes.

Remembering that the Hat had most certainly shouted "Gryffindor," before it halted the sentence, the Deputy Head Mistress, who was getting impatient (and hungry as well), thought it best to end the Sorting, believing that the outburst was unlikely to be reversed. She moved towards the center of the Great Hall. Just as she was about to take the Sorting Hat off the girl, however…

"NO! WAIT! WE'RE NOT DONE YET!" screamed the Sorting Hat, a note of panic in its voice.

McGonagall was shocked, and she knows she wasn't the only one, as curious gasps echoed throughout the entire hall.

For in all the History of Hogwarts, it was the very first time that the Hat said anything at all, aside from the names of Houses students were sorted into and the Song it sang before the Sorting began…

The Deputy Headmistress decided to give the Hat and the girl more time, seeing as it was one of the few times, if not the first time, that it asked for anything…

-**BREAK-**

(Sorting Hat POV)

The Sorting Hat was a nervous wreck.

At first it had been the happiest it had been in a very long time. Someone had actually taken the time to try and converse with it, and for an old Hat who had only been used as a tool, listening and reading students' mind to put them into suited Houses, but never considered as anything else, it couldn't have been any happier. Now, however…

_Those are my demands,_ thought the white-haired girl that was wearing it(since the Sorting Hat did not actually have a gender). _If you don't I will reveal the Founders' darkest secrets to the world, and you wouldn't want that now, would you?_

The Hat is in one of its worst dilemmas, the worst ones happening centuries before, first when Salazar Slytherin left the school, then when the Founders died, one by one, until they were all gone, for none of the succeeding Headmasters, except for Albus Dumbledore, ever bothered to talk to it. Now however…

The white-haired girl who was wearing it was actually trying to strike a bargain, with blackmail as her weapon.

The Hat was silent, both in voice and thought. It did not know what to do. The Sorting Hat, learning its lesson, used all of its capabilities to kick the white-haired girl out of its mind. The Sorting Hat had been created and given knowledge by the four great founders of Hogwarts, after all, so it could do something like that, but it wished it had done so earlier. The girl had undoubtedly gotten a lot of information out of it, and whatever it was, the Sorting Hat knew it couldn't be good.

The Sorting Hat did not want such secrets, whatever they were, known, especially since the girl was serious when she said that. The problem was, while not bound by an unbreakable enchantment, that Hat had promised its creators (unknown to everyone even Dumbledore, since the succeeding generations merely followed tradition) that he will not resort any student once they were placed into a House. But then…

Suddenly, the girl took the Sorting Hat off, and placed it on the stool. Then, to its horror, it saw (the rip on the Sorting Hat serves both as its eyes and mouth), that the silver-haired girl started taking a deep breath…

"RAVENCLAW!" the Sorting Hat screamed, stopping the girl from talking.

"And?" inquired the white-haired girl.

Knowing there was nothing else for it, the Sorting Hat did the only logical thing it could think of…

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! SEVERUS PRINCE SNAPE AND ALICE SERA CHAUCER! I MADE A MISTAKE IN YOUR SORTING FIVE YEARS AGO! TO RECTIFY THAT MISTAKE, YOU ARE HEREBY RESORTED INTO RAVENCLAW!"

**-BREAK-**

(Multi-person POV)

The Great Hall was quiet. All that transpired at the Hogwarts Express was momentarily forgotten, as they could not help but be bewildered by the more recent incident.

"Severus Snape, Alice Chaucer," said the Head Master Albus Dumbledore from the staff table in a loud voice, as he looked down at the Sorting Hat, who nodded back at him by flipping its top. "You are hereby transferred to Ravenclaw. Please join your table."

Dumbledore was confused by the event, but conformed with it. The Sorting Hat's decisions when it comes to students after all, had always been followed. Also, since he did owe the old Hat a favor when it agreed to his request of being put into Gryffindor, he decided to go by its whim. In truth, though the Headmaster disliked the fact that the white-haired girl refused to go to Gryffindor (Dumbledore knew that the girl had been talking to the Hat, as he had done the same before, not to mention suspecting that something else went on.), she did not want to go to Slytherin either, and he was relieved by it. However, for two students who were already living in their Houses for five years… well, there was a first time for everything.

"Yes, Professor," replied the two students in question, who walked towards the Ravenclaw table.

Miraculously, there was no snide whisperings about them this time, the shock of the recent events washing over them, and they managed to find seats without much issue.

Severus had no complaints with the issue, who wanted to be in the same House as Ilya, regardless of which one it was, even if it had to be Hufflepuff or even Gryffindor (If it had been Gryffindor, he would have more chances to apologize to Lily, but would have to face their prejudice, as well as the Marauders, so Ravenclaw was indeed a good option.).

Alice did not have any qualms with it either, knowing that the House of intellectuals was indeed less prejudiced when it comes to judging people (Never judge a book by its cover was one of the statements Alice heard some of her Ravenclaw acquaintances say), and as for Frank, well, if he really loved her, then it wouldn't matter.

Professor McGonagall now moved to take the Sorting Hat, but before she could get her hands on it it screamed at the retreating back of the white-haired girl, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, who was now walking toward her friends…

"WAIT!" shouted the Sorting Hat, to everybody's surprise.

"What is it?" replied the white-haired girl in a calm voice.

"PROMISE ME!" said the Sorting Hat.

"Promise you what?" inquired the white-haired girl.

"SWEAR THAT YOU WILL NEVER TELL ANYONE WHAT YOU FOUND OUT!"

"Oh, okay then," replied the white-haired cheerfully.

The Sorting Ceremony was over, and the Sorting Hat allowed itself to be taken by Professor McGonagall, feeling relieved…

"WAIT!"

"Yes, Ms. Emiya?" inquired the Head Mistress, as the white-haired girl approached her.

"On the honor of my family name, I am going to declare an oath, and everyone in this room will be witnesses," said the white-haired girl seriously.

"Oh, there's no need for that," replied the Sorting Hat. "Your statement wa…"

But the white-haired girl was not listening to it, as she spoke at the top of her voice.

"I, ILYASVEIL VON EINZBERN-EMIYA, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF EMIYA, HEREBY SWEAR, FROM THIS POINT ON, NEVER TO TELL ANYONE ABOUT CERTAIN DISCOVERIES I MADE…"

"HEY, I TOLD YOU THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT!" the Sorting Hat shouted, panicking, but its voice was drowned by the much louder and clearer voice of Ilya.

"DISCOVERIES WHICH INCLUDE THE FACT THAT GODRIC GRYFFINDOR WAS GAY AND A PEDOPHILE…"

"HEY!" shouted the Sorting Hat at the top of its voice, but to no avail, as the girl continued…

"…THAT SALAZAR SLYTHERIN WAS NEVER A PUREBLOOD FANATIC…"

"HEEEEEEEEEY! STOOOOPPP!"shouted the old Hat desperately...

"…AND THAT THE REASON HE LEFT HOGWARTS WAS BECAUSE UNKNOWN TO THE OTHER TWO FOUNDERS, GODRIC GRYFFINDOR HAD BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSING HIS STUDENTS, AND HAD AMOROUS FEELINGS TOWARDS SALAZAR SLYTHERIN. THESE PIECES OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION I SWEAR NEVER TO REVEAL TO ANYBODY FROM THIS DAY HENCE."

If possible, an even eerier silence could be felt in the Great Hall.

Even the Sorting Hat was speechless, as every single person in the room was in shock, unable to believe that they heard what they just heard, and to make matters worse, it was very convincing.

A few more moments of precious silence passed…

Before all hell broke loose in the Great Hall, the Calming Draught taken rendered useless…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter out. Again, I hope you enjoy it...

Later then, people...


	34. CHAPTER 32

**CHAPTER 32: BATTLE OF HOGWARTS**

(Severus POV)

"Well, this is being civilized," said a white-haired girl, looking amused, as she sat on her chair by Severus and Alice elegantly, moving her head slightly to the left to avoid a plate of pasta that was sent flying her way, while she levitated another cream pie and sent it flying towards the teachers' table…

It took a few moments for what Ilya announced in the Great Hall to sink in. The moment it did, however…

Pandemonium struck…

It was a spectacle to behold, horrifying in a way, yet amusing at the same time.

At first, Severus was feeling worried for Ilya. For the Gryffindors, upon registering the blatant insult that was aimed at their House's Founder, had eyes seething with rage, staring at the silver-haired girl. Not that the raven-haired young man was worried that Ilya would be hurt by those amateur wizards, who were too rash and headstrong for their own good. If Ilya wanted to, she could probably easily defeated the entire Gryffindor House all by herself, or perhaps even the entire student population…

But that probably wasn't the case with the teachers, particularly one Albus Dumbledore…

Yes indeed. Albus Dumbledore was a powerful wizard. He had heard rumors about their Headmaster being the only one Voldemort ever feared, known of his exploits, including the defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald, but these were pieces of information he had not known first-hand. Still…

In all the years of Severus' stay at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore acted goofy, cheerful, and perhaps a bit insane. While some of these aspects may be true about the Headmaster, Snape could not help but feel, not just because of the rumors, but also by his own instincts, that this cheerfulness, whether it is his true nature or not, is being used by the old man as a mask to hide his true abilities.

Now that his Magic Circuits were awakened, Severus Snape's ability to sense magic had also been heightened, and he now noticed that the old man possessed enormous amounts of magical energy. For while Dumbledore was suppressing it, the raven-haired young man's increased senses allowed him to notice the faint Aura emanating from the Headmaster. And also…

_"Albus Dumbledore… the rumors about him are much of an understatement… no wonder Voldemort had not dared go against him head-on…he is not just powerful… he is formidable… even Medea will have difficulty with him… the powers he possess would make him fit to be a Caster…it would be best not to trifle with him…"_

Despite not fully understanding, these words, that were whispered to him by Ilya when they entered the Great Hall were enough to keep Severus on his guard. If someone like his girlfriend was wary of the old man… well, that's enough to explain everything. Still…

"INCOMING!" yelled a black-haired female Ravenclaw named Alice, formerly a Gryffindor just a few minutes before, as he ducked, a kidney-and-steak pie barely missing the raven-haired Ravenclaw, formerly a Slytherin for the same duration as the former Gryffindor, by inches…

_Flashback_

_(Severus POV)_

_The tension in the Great Hall was intense. It was to be expected, and the Gryffindors were staring angrily at Ilya. After hearing someone tell everyone that their House's Founder was actually a gay and a pedophile… well, what else would you expect?_

_A few painful seconds passed, but before a Gryffindor could pull out their wand, cast a spell, or generally scream in outrage, a roar of rage was heard from somewhere else…_

_SO IT WAS GRYFFINDOR'S FAULT ALL ALONG! roared a green-robed student from the Slytherin table who Severus recognized as Derrick Wilkes, one of his acquaintances, staring (as the rest of the Slytherins were), not at Ilya, but at the Gryffindor table. Wilkes already had a wand out, and was about to fire a hex in random at the Gryffindors when…_

_"CONFRIN…"_

_SPLAT!_

_A plateful of mashed potato hit him directly in the face, the shock of the impact making him lose focus…_

_Gasps could be heard in the Great Hall, as the Slytherin sixth year wiped the mashed potato from his face with his handkerchief, though traces of it were still visible in his hair…_

_"WHO DID THAT!? ANSWER ME! WHO IN MERLIN'S NAME THREW THAT AT ME?!" roared Wilkes, shocked and disoriented, _

_"IT WAS HIM! I SAW HIM! I'M SURE OF IT!" shouted a cheerful female voice._

_The Slytherin sixth year looked around trying to find the source of the voice, and his eyes fixed itself on the white-haired girl… Seemingly completely forgetting all about the train incident, the Sorting, and everything else which now seemed irrelevant, Wilkes eyes followed the path directed by Ilya's index finger… which led straight to one Sirius Black, who was sitting beside his Marauder friends…_

_The Marauder, seeing the exchange, reflexively attempted to declare that he was innocent ('One of the rare moments when he really is,'Severus added in his mind.)_

_"HEY, IT WASN'T ME! I D…"_

_SPLASH!_

_"HAHAHAHA!"_

_Wilkes laughed triumphantly. While the pitcher of pumpkin juice he sent flying (he did not even bother levitating it with his wand, using sheer physical force to do it, by throwing, literally) did not manage to hit the intended target (since Black managed to dodge to the right), the pitcher, did, however, hit the Gryffindor table. While it was true that the pitcher did not break, either because it was durable or it was placed under an Unbreakable, the force of the throw made its contents spill, splashing the unfortunate students who sat near the point of impact… with one James Potter getting most of the cold liquid on him…_

_The Marauder was silent, but it can be seen in his face that he was infuriated. Apparently completely forgetting about everything else, his fears, his worries, everything, James Potter, who held pride as the best prankster in school, leader of the Marauders, was outraged at the fact that the joke was on him…_

_"WHY YOU!" roared Potter angrily at the culprit, and he immediately grabbed the nearest delectable he could get his hands on. "MOONY! WORMTAIL! PADFOOT! BATTLE STATIONS!"_

_And thus began the Battle of Hogwarts…_

_End of Flashback_

Severus Snape sighed, as he levitated a container of treacle tart, and sent it flying towards a half-furious, half-cheerful looking James Potter, who was spraying a variety of sauce left and right, seemingly angry at the insults the Gryffindor House received, yet happy at the chaos that ensued…

_So she was planning something like this all along,_ thought the raven-haired young man, knowing full well that the flying plate of mashed potato that hit Wilkes, while it did come from the Gryffindor table, was actually being controlled by Ilya. Still…

While the current situation was not exactly something that could be called pleasant, the raven-haired young man could not help but feel relieved, as what he thought would end up to be a disastrous and dangerous scenario, turned into a different kind of battle instead…

The Battle of Hogwarts continued, the events prior to it seemingly forgotten…

**-BREAK-**

(McGonagall POV)

In truth, the Sorting Ceremony for the year was unlike the ones in the past, not because of the attack on Hogwarts Express, but because of the aftermath of said attack. And said aftermath…

was the time delay…

Yes, thanks to You-Know-Who stopping the Hogwarts Express, the students' arrival was delayed by almost an hour, thereby delaying the Sorting by almost an hour, and therefore the feast would, in consequence, be also delayed by almost an hour. Unfortunately, the Deputy Headmistress had not taken her lunch that day, though it was normal for her to skip a meal or two during the feasting events of the year, when luscious food was abundant.

Despite her calm and strict demeanor, Minerva McGonagall was, after all, a female, and as normal as it is for every female, she was worried about her shape and figure, despite that fact the she was growing older, though she refused to acknowledge 'beginning to get old' part. Still, despite this worry, the years of experience taught her how to enjoy both worlds, enjoying what she wants to eat while keeping her body fit, and skipping meals during days of feasts was one of them…

It was bad enough that the Sorting Ceremony was delayed for an hour due to Lord Voldemort. But that was made even worse by the girl who so resembled Lily Evans, the silver-haired girl Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, for it took the Sorting Hat more than half an hour to finish Sorting her.

Normally, Dumbledore would first give out his beginning of year speech, while the singing of the Hogwarts song would either be immediately before or immediately after the feast portion of the Ceremony.

Normally, it was the Headmaster who gave out the orders to the House Elves to have the food magically transported to the tables.

This year however, Minerva McGonagall, who was already starving (she was, literally, very, very, very hungry), decided to break tradition, and discreetly ordered one of the elves, through a magical voice link to the kitchens, to make the food appear on the table at once…

And the Head of Gryffindor House regretted her decision…

"STOP! STOP! STOP!" screamed a very angry-looking Deputy Headmistress, starvation overriding her usually calm and collective thinking and reactions, attempting to restore order, but failing miserably…

The Transfiguration teacher, one cream-cake-and-catsup-covered Minerva McGonagall was not amused(Had she been her usual calm self, she would have noticed the state her robes were in, and would have wiped them clean with her wand instantly), yet could not help but feel that the events that transpired was partially her fault…

And to make matters worse…

"ALBUS! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING JUST STANDING THERE?! DO SOMETHING!" shrieked Minerva McGonagall at a silver-haired old man.

The Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was greatly distraught, as the School Headmaster, Albus Perceival Dumbledore, merely watched with amusement, his eyes twinkling, before the old man sighed and gently put off the Head of Gryffindor House.

"Come now, Minerva. They did have a rough day…"

"WHAT?! BUT…" began the Deputy Headmistress, but Dumbledore calmly cut her off.

"Young though they might be, they will eventually run out of energy," said the old man serenely. "For now let them have their fun…"

"WAIT… YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TRY AND STOP THEM!?" shrieked the outraged Deputy Headmistress.

But the old man merely smiled at her in response, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles, Minerva McGonagall not noticing in her fury that there was a smear of cream on the Headmaster's eyeglasses…

-**BREAK-**

**Albus Dumbledore Monologue**

An old man was sitting on his chair at the Headmaster's Office, musing to himself.

The Great Hall was now sparkling clean. No trace of the mess and chaos that occurred that just an hour before could be seen. Everything was back in order. Dumbledore made sure of that before leaving and heading for his office.

At first the Headmaster was worried, really very worried, as he heard the rumors that was going about the students (of which he had a first-hand view of, as Alastor gave him a strand of memory to obseve it in full detail.). The white-haired girl, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, undoubtedly managed to pull one over Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, and possibly the most powerful Dark Wizard of the century. The silver-haired girl was powerful, and when she first saw her upon entering the Great Hall with Severus Snape and Alice Chaucer, Dumbledore initially thought that his worst suspicions were confirmed. A new Dark Lord, or 'Dark Lady', as the students called her, was on the rise, and with her two other companions, they were dubbed the 'Dark Trio.'

His suspicion was increased when Ilyasveil obviously refused to go to Gryffindor, but dropped again by a degree when she requested (compelled) the Sorting Hat to place her two other friends into Ravenclaw as well, which included Severus Snape, who was a Slytherin.

Albus Dumbledore thought that he could drop everything for the time being at that moment, but then…

_…_

_"…GODRIC GRYFFINDOR WAS GAY AND A PEDOPHILE…_

_ "…SALAZAR SLYTHERIN WAS NEVER A PUREBLOOD FANATIC…"_

_"…AND THAT THE REASON HE LEFT HOGWARTS WAS BECAUSE UNKNOWN TO THE OTHER TWO FOUNDERS, GODRIC GRYFFINDOR HAD BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSING HIS STUDENTS, AND HAD AMOROUS FEELINGS TOWARDS SALAZAR SLYTHERIN…"_

_…_

Upon hearing the white-haired girl declare something so outrageous, whether they were true not, in the presence of so many people, the Headmaster could hardly contain his fury, and he knew that the twinkle had gone from his eyes. What the girl stated was no laughing matter, and the worst part was that by all means, Dumbledore knew she was doing nothing wrong. In fact, it was Hogwarts that was technically doing wrong to its students during the Sorting Ceremony, as the Sorting Hat actually reads the minds and invades the privacy of students in order to be able to properly assess them and place them in the Houses they are most suited for…

Still, it was worrisome, and Dumbledore could not help but see the many possible negative impacts of the silver-haired girl's statement. And it was even more worrisome that one of his suspicions was confirmed: To be able to penetrate the mind of the Sorting Hat so easily and quickly, was something only a top class Occlumens and Legilimens would be able to do.

Dumbledore was worried, absolutely worried, for the sake of the Wizarding Community as a whole, but more so for the sake of his students, especially the Gryffindors.

The fear caused by train incident that the members of the House of Lion felt was overridden by their anger at the white-haired girl for publicly insulting the history of their House. The old Headmaster wished at that time that they had remained frightened. Dumbledore had no exact gauge of exactly how powerful the silver-haired girl was, but basing from the fact that she had made a fool of Lord Voldemort, as well as the powerful aura of magic that appeared to be surrounding her, the Headmaster knew that things would not turn out well, and he will have to do something to prevent a disaster from occurring…

Or not…

_…_

_"CONFRIN…"_

_SPLAT!_

_A plateful of mashed potato hit him directly in the face, the shock of the impact making him lose focus…_

_Gasps could be heard in the Great Hall, as the Slytherin sixth year wiped the mashed potato from his face with his handkerchief, though traces of it were still visible in his hair…_

_"WHO DID THAT!? ANSWER ME! WHO IN MERLIN'S NAME THREW THAT AT ME?!" roared Wilkes, shocked and disoriented, _

_"IT WAS HIM! I SAW HIM! I'M SURE OF IT!" shouted a cheerful female voice._

_…_

In all the tenseness, Dumbledore had overlooked the fact that the Gryffindors were not the only one who felt outraged by the girl's words. The Slytherins, hearing about how Gryffindor had been trying to make it out with the Head of the House of Serpent, could not help but burn in fury, disgusted and sickened at the thought. Still, instead of ending in a hurtful and possibly deadly situation…

It ended up becoming a nice, stress-relieving event…

The Headmaster's fury was lessened somewhat, amazed at the sudden disappearance of tenseness in the air. Instead of casting harmful curses at each other, the students were instead engaged in a free-for-all food fight. Well, Dumbledore could not help but feel a tinge of regret, considering how much effort had been placed by the House Elves into making them, not to mention the fact that he was also feeling famished (though thankfully he always carried sweets with him so it was easily remedied). Still…

He could not help but feel amused, as the Great Hall, which a few moments prior, had been a potential battlefield, turned into an entertaining playground…

The old Headmaster recalled how he barely had time to react, as some cream pies were sent flying towards him, of all people!

He could tell. Dumbledore knew who it was who threw that plate of mashed potato at Mr. Wilkes. And the culprit who initiated this hysteria was now bombarding the Headmaster, not with harmful spells, but with the feast's menu.

Still, the old man must admit that the culprit, who he knew was without a doubt was the silver-haired girl who was elegantly sipping tea at the Ravenclaw table, was really good with magic, for the old man was surprised when one of the cream pies exploded in front of him before he could magic it away.

The Headmaster knew it was a good strategy. The girl had been aiming to block out his vision by smearing his spectacles with cream, as the barrage of food on the Headmaster became more determined than ever.

However, not for nothing was Dumbledore the only wizard the Dark Lord ever feared, and he managed to prevent all of them from smearing his robes, even though his cream-covered eyeglasses partially impaired his vision.

Finally the barrage stopped, either because the white-haired girl lost interest or (as Dumbledore suspected), decided to start eating quickly before all the food goes to waste, as the Headmaster saw, in the distance, the girl munching, elegantly but swiftly…

Suddenly, the Headmaster's hand automatically reacted, as a light-blue piece of paper, with the drawing of swords in the background, in the form of a paper plane, was sent in his direction, the source of which Dumbledore had no doubt of…

The old man wiped his glasses with his robes and read…

**Hogwarts better be prepared…**

**The Marauders are a relic from the past…**

**For even they will not be spared…**

**In the art of pranks, they had been surpassed…**

**Signed**

**Archer**

Upon reading these words, the old man could not help but let out a chuckle, as he saw that James Potter and Sirius Black were reading a similarly fashioned piece of parchment, looking around the Great Hall, trying to locate the source, which, as the Headmaster admitted, given the recent turn of events, should have been painfully obvious. The old Headmaster could not help but be amused, as the two Marauders started concentrating their food barrage on Derrick Wilkes, undoubtedly mistaking him as the culprit behind the message.

The negative view that the Headmaster held with regards to the new student Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya was now almost gone. True, he was still suspicious, and especially curious, with regards to the true abilities and objectives the silver-haired girl may have (given that Dumbledore would probably have trouble penetrating her mind, although the Headmaster had not even tried to do so yet. Unlike the Sorting Hat, the Headmaster never read the mind of anyone without their express permission unless there was an emergency and critically necessary, a point which was almost, but not reached.).

The fact that she looked so much like Lily Evans, the fact that she was skilled enough in the arts of the mind to fool the Dark Lord, other things she may be hiding… well, the Headmaster decided that it could wait… for as far as he could tell, the silver-haired girl was not a bad person… he just hoped he wasn't making a mistake… After all…

Believing in the goodness in people's hearts had always been one of Albus Dumbledore's greatest strength and weakness…

**End of Monologue**

**-BREAK-**

(Albus Dumbledore POV)

"Bee in your bonnet, eh Headmaster?" inquired a cheerful voice to the Headmaster, which could only belong to the Sorting Hat.

"I'm afraid so," sighed the old man, who was currently reading the Evening Prophet.

Normally, news of such magnitude, such as the events on the Hogwarts Express, would have easily been put into paper. There were several witnesses after all, mostly the students who were aboard, and many of them have undoubtedly already informed their parents. However…

Nothing. There was nothing on the paper at all regarding what happened…

Which made the Headmaster wonder. News over something like this should have reached the Prophet without a doubt, and even if the details were twisted to give the credit to the Ministry, a victory over Lord Voldemort should have made headline news. Yet there was nothing, nothing at all…

And there could only be one logical explanation…

The Ministry was undoubtedly putting pressure on the Prophet, preventing it from releasing anything with regards to the Hogwarts Express incident. But as the Ministry was always looking for an opportunity to glorify itself (and the train scenario was one such incident), the only reason they would not divulge even the minimal information to the public via newspaper would be…

"She's not like Tom, Albus," said the Sorting Hat suddenly, which almost made the old man jump from his chair. "In fact, you say could she's more like you, if you can trust the judgement of an old senile Hat like myself that is."

"Would you care to elaborate?" inquired the old Headmaster, as he lowered his newspaper and focused on the talking old hat.

"You know I can't tell reveal any information on her memories," said the Sorting Hat.

"Oh, but she was able to enter yours, if I'm not mistaken?" replied Dumbledore to the hat cheerfully, as Fawkes the Phoenix stirred in the ashes, having just experienced one of its Burning Days, ugly and featherless at the moment.

"Can't be helped, she's a talented one," replied the Hat. "I know the risks of a mind connection when there is one. If she hadn't lowered her guard, I would not have been able to Sort her properly."

"Oh, and did you manage to get enough information on her to be able to Sort her properly?" inquired the Headmaster.

"Of course," replied the Sorting Hat. "More than she thought I knew, though I doubt I was able to see any of her most crucial memories... She's an extremely talented witch I must admit. Had she not allowed a connection for her own personal convenience, I would not have been able to enter her mind. I tried to put her in Gryffindor, but in truth, she was just as equally suited to any House… though her strongest point should have been in Hufflepuff, but when I probed further she was conflicted there…"

"Hufflepuff?" inquired the Headmaster, his curiosity growing. "And what do you mean she was conflicted?"

"She is extremely loyal to her friends," said the Sorting Hat to the Headmaster. "Yet at the same time, she is trying to pursue her ideals, which she refuse to let go of."

"Ideals?"

"I think I may be telling you too much, Albus," said the Sorting Hat, in a serious tone. "I'm sorry, but I cannot reveal to you any more than what I've told you… anymore and I would be breaking my oath…"

"It is not my intention to invade into her memories or personal life," replied the Headmaster. "But if I may, old friend, I wish to know what it is that drives her, so I can put my mind at ease."

Silence in the room reigned for a while, before the Sorting Hat finally broke it.

"Very well, Albus, just this once," sighed the Sorting Hat.

"Thank you, old friend," replied the Headmaster, his eyes twinkling.

"Listen to me carefully, because I will only say this once," said the Sorting Hat.

Albus Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

The Sorting Hat took a deep breath (at least it sounded like one), and began talking…

"The girl Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya… she had a sad life… I will not elaborate on the details since I will be telling too much, but I will tell you this, she is an orphan…"

Dumbledore twitched at these words, remembering that Lord Voldemort was the same.

"…She had a family once… but she lost it, they died trying to protect her…"

At this Dumbledore could not help but feel saddened, and felt a twinge of guilt. He had lost his beloved sister Ariana… and the Headmaster blamed himself for it.

"…This may be the reason why, but that girl... she has two wishes, two very simple wishes, both of which was so simple yet one was impossible to achieve…

"…she wanted to protect the ones she loved… she wanted to protect everyone…"

Dumbledore's eyes widened at these words, as he knew deep down that these were the very wishes he himself was trying to achieve…

"…yet she knew it was impossible to achieve… she knew it was impossible to save everyone… she tried and tried and kept trying, she knew it was impossible, yet she never gave up… all she can do was minimize the damage…"

While not knowing exactly what transpired, Dumbledore could see clearly how heavy was the burden that the girl was carrying…

"… she killed one life, whether guilty or not, to save ten innocents… she destroyed ten lives, deserving or not, to save a hundred innocents… she killed a hundred to save a thousand innocent lives… and thus the never ending cycle continued…"

Dumbledore now looked like a man who was hit by a lightning bolt, his emotions split between shock and pity…

"She already knew that her second wish can never be… but in the end… she couldn't even grant her first wish… for everyone she ever truly cared for ended up dead, and she blamed her own powerlessness for it,,, she knows she could not save everyone, yet never gave up, and because of this… she lost the ones she truly loved…"

Dumbledore was a strong-willed man, and was adept at controlling his emotions. Still, he could not prevent a couple of tears from falling, before he wiped them with his handkerchief, before blowing his crooked nose. The kind of suffering the girl went through… he could not even begin to imagine…

"And she's only fifteen," said the old Headmaster, his tone filled with sadness. "To have to go through all that…so young… how tragic…"

The room was silent, except for the slight chirping noise the reincarnated phoenix was making.

"That's about all I can tell you about her motivation, Albus…AHHH… STOP WORRYING, you will look even older than you already are," said the Sorting Hat, breaking the silence. "… she will not allow something like that to happen again…she has been saved from misery thanks to a certain someone, and has once again found a reason to keep on living... I think I do not need to tell you who…"

"Severus Snape?" inquired the Headmaster, suddenly remembering that the former Slytherin was somehow involved.

The Sorting Hat merely curled its rip into a smile, before making its snide comment…

"As you always say Albus, love is more powerful than any magic in the world…"

The Sorting Hat closed its rip and was now silent as a regular head wear…

The Headmaster put his hands on his chin, and was now deep in thought, the information he received far from putting his mind at ease…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter out... Hope you like it...

Later then, people...


	35. CHAPTER 33

**CHAPTER 33: DESCENDANT OF THE HOUND**

(Severus POV)

After the nice little food fest event in the Great Hall (which of course, included throwing and wasting the menu prepared for the beginning of year feast as weapons of war), the Hogwarts students were sent off to their common rooms with empty stomachs…well, a third of the students at least. Not for nothing was Ravenclaw considered the House of Intellectuals, where everyone was sensible enough to eat while engaging in the food fight (Severus was glad to see that a certain James Potter and Sirius Black were among the list of the famished, who groaned loudly upon the announcement, apparently too engrossed in the war that went on.), before everything was cleaned and magicked away by the teachers.

The raven-haired young man was actually nervous, knowing full well that something unpleasant could end up as a consequence/s for their actions, especially since a hysterical Professor McGonagall was there (Given that the Head Mistress was already cruel enough with her punishments in her calm state of mind, as well as this was the first time Severus had seen her in this state…well, you get picture).

Fortunately, the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore sided with the students, announcing that since they had just been through a terrible ordeal (_Too true,_ thought Severus), no punishments or detentions will be handed out (to the dismay of the Deputy Headmistress), except of course, that the students were first required to clean the mess they created 'without magic', and the teachers were inspecting their work, apparently making sure they really did things the 'Muggle Way," before allowing them to leave.

Then again, with the numerous pairs of hands on the job, it proved to be a rather easy task (Ilya actually looked like she was enjoying herself with the mundane task.), after which they were sent off to their common rooms…

**_I sway in the wind, I sway in the night… I am the sun but not bright…_** asked the bronze eagle knocker **(Note: this particular riddle was borrowed from chris, who posted it on a blogsite.)**

"A sunflower," answered one of the Ravenclaw Prefects, after which the way into the Ravenclaw dorms opened.

Severus could not help but notice the many differences between his old dorm and the new one he will be staying at…

Unlike the Slytherin dungeons, Ravenclaw Tower had a far more welcoming atmosphere about it.

_The Ravenclaw common room is one of the airiest rooms at Hogwarts. It is a wide, circular room with a midnight blue carpet, arched windows hung with blue and bronze silks, and a domed ceiling painted with stars. The room is furnished with tables, chairs, and bookcases; and by the door leading up to the dormitories stood a tall statue of Rowena Ravenclaw made of white marble..._ **(Note: These three sentences were borrowed from Harry Potter Wiki)…**

_Well, this doesn't seem so bad, _thought the raven-haired young man, refusing to admit that he was a lot more than just a bit relieved, undoubtedly excited, especially at the presence of numerous new books he could gain knowledge from…

But then, the seemingly welcoming air became tense and downright unfriendly, as Severus, Ilya and Alice, found themselves surrounded by the unwelcoming stares of their new dorm mates.

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Why in the world do we have to share a dorm with these three?"

"Who knows what they might do to us…"

Severus Snape was not pleased. Ever since they entered the common room they have been surrounded by their new dorm mates, who were apparently half-curious, but were still obviously fearful, as Ilya, Severus and Alice, found themselves blocked at the entrance door by a dozen Ravenclaws, who, were still keeping a bit of distance from them, looking uneasy, while the rest watched from a much safer distance, not wanting to get involved.

"Then again, I must admit, if I wasn't so… FREAKED OUT with what they did back at the train…"

"Those trolls…"

"Even You-Know-Who…"

"You should be thanking us you know...especially Ilya," said the raven-haired young man, feeling irritated, finding himself hardly able to restrain himself from shouting. "But instead you're going 'Dark Lady' this and 'Dark Trio,' that. In case you've forgotten, what she did actually saved your lives!"

But the Ravenclaws ignored the raven-haired young man's words, and continued talking among themselves.

It was not a pleasant situation. Now that the excitement of the Great Hall food fight had subsided, the mindset of everyone was back to what happened prior to it, and Severus realized that they were back to square one.

"I think we better raise our complaints to Professor Flitwick…" murmured one of the students…

"The Dark Lady in Ravenclaw? That can't be good…"

"And that git's a Slytherin…"

"Alice… even though she was a Gryffindor…"

"Since she's with them it's pretty obvious…"

"Let's just ask Dumbledore… he might be able to send them away…" muttered another one, although their voices were still audible enough to understand.

"Ungrateful little…" Severus heard Alice muttering, as he noticed that the former Gryffindor was also seething…

The group of Ravenclaw students were now slowly moving toward the door, wands out, apparently to force the three newcomers out of the common room…

Unable to control his control his temper any longer, Severus Snape was about to shout bloody murder when…

"MS. ILYA IS NOT A BAD PERSON!" screamed a young female voice, as something brown forced itself through the wall of students and was now standing between the three and the other Ravenclaws. The raven-haired young man recognized her immediately…

"Evelyn," gasped the raven-haired young, half-surprised, apparently too deep in thought to notice that the brown-haired girl had been Sorted into Ravenclaw, half-worried, of what might happen next, as the others were now giving the frail first year a stare that was similar to the one they were giving the three of them…

For a few seconds, there was complete and utter silence, but it was a calm before a storm. The other Ravenclaws were just about to resume on their attempt to force the 'Dark Trio' to leave when…

_"AGUAMENTI!"_

SPLASH!

"What in the name of…" gasped one of the

"Who the hell…"

"HEY YOU! WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, TERRORIZING NEW STUDENTS!?"

Everyone in the room turned to see who it was who spoke (although Severus noticed that some of the Ravenclaws seemed to flinch as they heard the voice speak.)…

It was a girl with navy-blue hair, wand in one hand, a broomstick on the other, looking furiously at her fellow Ravenclaws for their current conduct. She was above plain at least, and she looked rather beautiful (_Though not as beautiful as Ilya,_ thought the raven-haired young man.) But her most distinguishing feature…

was her eyes…

The girl, who was now busy telling off their attackers, had a pair of ruby-red eyes, just like Ilya's were before. But unlike the white-haired girl's, as Severus noticed, there was something about them that was different, something beastlike…

"No buts," the blue-haired girl was saying, who had now gotten the situation under control, as Evelyn Scrimgeour ran and attached herself to Ilya. "They are now in Ravenclaw, and I expect you treat them as you would any member of our House… now off with you… unless you want me to report you to Professor Flitwick and have him make you scrub toilets for a week…"

"But…" began one of the Ravenclaws who tried to corner Severus and his two friends, but he immediately stopped, then left for the dorms with the others in the group immediately, as the blue-haired girl narrowed her eyes, glaring, a growl noticeable in her tone…

"Well, well," began another female voice, amusement in its tone. "Who would have thought that I would actually get to meet one of the descendants of the Hound of Ulster."

Upon hearing these words, the blue-haired girl immediately turned to look for the source of the voice, her ruby eyes wide with shock…

"Ilya?" inquired Severus and Alice together, as they saw that their silver-haired companion had a strange smirk plastered on her face, the brown-haired Evelyn looking up at her inquiringly.

"What did you just say?" the blue-haired said in a low voice, recovering from her previous surprise.

"The Hound of Ulster," began the white-haired girl, the smile still on her face. "If I'm not mistaken, you're a descendant of Cu Chulainn, aren't you?"

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"Rose Ann Walker Garnet," greeted the blue-haired girl formally, (who turned out to be a fifth year Ravenclaw Prefect) but talking rather quickly, as she held out a hand. "Welcome to Ravenclaw Tower."

"Thank you," replied the white-haired girl, as she accepted the offered hand and shook it. "My name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya… you can call me Ilya for short, and these are my friends Alice, Evelyn, and Severus…though since I think you already know them, there's no need for further introductions…"

The white-haired girl could not help but be shocked. While keeping her facial expression in check, in truth, inside she could not help but feel quite surprised and amused by the sight that greeted her.

_No way…she's like a female version of Lancer,_ thought Ilya to herself.

Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Ulster, the hero or Ireland, was the true identity of the Servant Lancer in the 5th Holy Grail War, in which Ilya, as the Master of Berserker, was a participant. He was a demi-god, a powerful Heroic Spirit, who wields the dreaded spear Gae Bolg, as his Noble Phantasm, a red demonic spear which, when activated, will always go for and never miss the heart of its opponent, a sure kill…

And indeed the resemblance was uncanny. Had Lancer been born a girl, the blue-haired female in front of Ilya right now would have been exactly what he would have looked like.

"How did you know?" the blue-haired girl, Rose, inquired, her ruby eyes lighting up with shock and excitement. "I have never told anyone…"

The question was actually an indirect confirmation of Ilya's suspicion. The look in her eyes, there was no doubt about it. Rose was definitely a descendant of the red spear wielding Servant. Still…

"I think we should talk about this another time," Ilya cut off Ravenclaw Prefect, as she noticed that the brown-haired girl had fallen asleep, gently lifting Evelyn in her arms, so as not to wake her. "For now, I think we should get some rest. We have classes tomorrow… Would it be ok with you to show us where the students sleep for the night?"

"Ah…yes, of course," replied the blue-haired girl automatically, as she called (yelled) at another Ravenclaw student, who reluctantly approached them. "Wellington, would you mind showing Severus to the boys' quarters?"

The other student merely nodded.

"Thank you," replied Rose to the gesture. "You two, come with me…"

Yes, Ilya would have really liked to engage Rose Garnet in a nice conversation, but it was getting late, and as Saber used to say, fatigue was the enemy.

"Night, Severus," said Alice, stifling a yawn, as she started following the blue-haired girl.

"See you later then, Sev," said Ilya, as she gave him a quick kiss to the lips, before heading off with the black-haired female, carrying Evelyn Scrimgeour with her in a sister-like manner, as her raven-haired boyfriend waved his hand slightly in response, a mixture of joy, relief and curiosity readable from his expression…

**-BREAK-**

(Rose POV)

It was two o'clock in the morning. Despite the considerably traumatic events of the day prior, most of the girls in the dormitory are now sleeping soundly…

Except for one Ravenclaw fifth year Prefect who goes by the name Rose Ann Garnet, who found that sleep would not come to her. And it was not because of the fact that Voldemort attempted an attack on the Hogwarts Express, nor was it because she was sleeping in the same room as the Alice Chaucer and Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya. Well… her current insomnia was actually caused by the white-haired, but it was not due to the train incident. No, the reason why Rose Ann was unable to sleep was due to…

_"The Hound of Ulster…If I'm not mistaken, you're a descendant of Cu Chulainn, aren't you?"_

To say that Rose was surprised would be an understatement. For in truth, the shock that she felt when You-Know-Who (The blue-haired was not exactly afraid of calling said Dark Lord Voldemort, but as others flinched whenever the name was uttered, she stopped using it to be considerate) attacked the Hogwarts Express, was nothing in comparison to the one which she experienced when Ilya voiced out that statement.

The blue-haired girl looked at the white-haired girl with her piercing ruby-red eyes, who was now fast asleep, not even bothering to close the curtains, on one of the blue-sheeted four poster beds (One of the other female Ravenclaws begged to switch beds with the Prefect, obviously not wanting to sleep near the so-called Dark Lady). She was actually contemplating on waking Ilya and engaging her in conversation, wanting an explanation on how she figured it out, but decided against it, knowing it was bad manners to do so…

Still, Rose could not help but wonder how it was possible for someone to know about it, let alone make a connection…

**-BREAK-**

**Rose Monologue**

Rose Ann Walker Garnet, a member… well, formerly a member of the prestigious Garnet family, before she was disowned… though since she did leave on her own accord, it did not really matter…

She was the first born child of Raymond and Julia Garnet, both purebloods and of noble lineage. But the two wanted a son, and not a daughter, so when Rolando was born (The blue-haired girl was five years old at the time), Rose's parents focused all their loving attention on her brother (Adding the fact, of course, that the medics stated that Julia will not get pregnant again, as well as the fact that the boy had inherited his mother's blonde hair and her face, as well as his father's blue eyes, while none of these traits were inherited by Rose, even though they were 100% biologically related.).

In truth, Rose was not really affected with this kind of treatment. While for the most part, she was ignored by her parents, the blue-haired girl did not mind. She was in fact, pleased with this fact. For while her mother and father were busy spoiling and giving all their loving care to her younger brother, Rose did not bear any grudge or will against them. For that meant that she was free. She was not starved, nor was she maltreated, so she was fine with things, and the blue-haired was actually kind of fond of her little brother. And the fact that she was not given much attention meant she had no shackles on her…

And that meant that she had a lot of free time on her hands, which she spent with her grandfather on her mother's side, the only living relative she had from that generation, and the only one who ever truly cared for Rose, much more than her parents ever did. (since the rest of her grandparents were already dead).

_Flashback_

_WHOOSH!_

_SPLASH!_

_"I DID IT! I FINALLY DID IT! LOOK GRANDFATHER! I FINALLY CAUGHT ONE!" cried an eight-year old Rose happily, as she grabbed the self- carved wooden spear from the riverbed, and showed it to her old man, with a fish pierced helplessly in it._

_"Well done, my child," replied her grandfather Frederick, smiling as he clapped his hands, his hair whitened by age, yet who had a pair of sharp red eyes just like the blue-haired girl's. "All that hard work is paying off."_

_"Just don't get cocky, kid," said a teasing voice, which came from a pocket-size portrait, of a blue-haired man with sharp red eyes, just like the other two's pair, grinning amusedly, but with pride at the young lass. "You're still a long way from my level… but it's a start."_

_The blue-haired girl continued her training with the use of the long weapon. It was not exactly easy, but no one actually forced her into it. In fact, Rose was really happy when she was using the spear, feeling at home and at ease when she had one in her hands…_

_End of Flashback_

Yes, the blue-haired girl recalled those happy and carefree days by the stream, but such days are never meant to last.

As a member of the noble house of Garnet, learning proper etiquette befitting of a lady was a must (and Rose's nature was far from something like that). When she turned nine, her parents hired a tutor for the blue-haired girl and, not wanting to cause any trouble (despite the fact that the sessions were really boring and irritating), Rose complied, and like any obedient daughter, attempted learning the art of being a goody-two-shoes-noblewoman.

Because of this, being occupied with all the nonsense, it was six months before Rose was able to visit her grandfather again(She had been able to get express permission from her tutor, who was pleased with her 'apparent' progress)…

And to her great sorrow, she discovered that her grandfather had passed away.

The old man had actually lived alone in an old house by the riverside, with only an old loyal female servant for company, who informed her of Frederick's passing. He had many properties of course, but he somehow preferred simple living compared to the usual lavish lifestyle nobles led. Unknown to Rose, her grandfather actually had a terminal illness, but kept it hidden from her…

She was filled with grief and sadness, as she heard the old maid told her that her grandfather had been calling out her name on his death bed. And the worst part...

_Flashback_

_"He was s-sending me l-letters?" the blue-haired girl sobbed._

_"Yes, he was, owling you every single day since you started visiting him actually, whenever you were not around," replied the old maid, sadness also present in her voice. "It is a pity… he would have been overjoyed to be able to see you one last time before he passed away…"_

_"B-but I never received any of them…"_

_End of Flashback_

Rose could not believe it. She never got a single letter from her grandfather, but she had not given that much thought, assuming as a child that the old man was just busy with adult matters. There was only one possible explanation, and she did not like it…

When the girl got back to the Garnet manor, she immediately confronted the maids. At first, they were reluctant about telling her about it, for fear that it would get them into trouble, but eventually gave in when Rose promised not to tell her parents about it…

It was not a pleasant tale. Her grandfather had indeed been sending her letters, but her parents, both her father and mother, ordered that those letters should be burned…

Now, Rose recalled something else. The tutoring… the lectures on ladyship… it all began the day after the blue-haired girl told her parents about her adventures one dinner… as well as the fact that she had been visiting her grandfather, which they did not seem to have been aware of until she told them…

Yes, it was her fault. Her childish naivety made her fail to notice the dark look that appeared on her parent's faces…

From that day on, Rose refused to take any of the worthless lectures (which never involved anything about magic, only about nonsense ladylike manners and appeal), opting to stay out of sight, sometimes climbing on top of trees (When Mr. and Mrs. Garnet heard that she visited her grandfather's grave, she was expressly forbidden from leaving the manor, and Rose still opted to obey that much.), hoping that things will turn for the better if she at least tried and showed her parents her point…

And sadly, she was mistaken…

_Flashback_

_SLAP!_

_Rose simply kept an impassive face, as her mother slapped her in the face._

_"Servant, take my son to the other room," said the cold, commanding voice of Mr. Garnet, who was crying, wailing, unhappy with what was happening, for the boy was actually rather attached to his elder sister, something which the mother and father did not like._

_The door of the room was shut, and Rose was left alone with her parents._

_"Well, now, young lady," said Mr. Garnet coldly, as he turned to face his daughter. "What do you have to say for yourself?"_

_The blue-haired girl simply kept quiet. In truth, she was seething, she was angry, but she kept herself composed. Rose simply let her parents' words and anger wash over her. Ever since she started skipping her tutor sessions, this had been a normal event, and she was now accustomed to it, but then…_

_"… you have been betrothed to the heir of the House of Black, Regulus, I think was his name," said the blue-haired girl's father. "… and you are to attend your lessons on a regular basis from now on. Do I make myself clear, young lady?"_

_Even though she was only ten years old, Rose understood full well what those words meant. She was being sold off, as a tool, to forge an alliance, a pact, for business, or for whatever other selfish reasons, by her own parents no less._

_The blue-haired girl would have exploded in fury, had it not been for the fact that the door of the room opened and her little brother entered at that precise moment…_

_"Yes, Father…" replied the blue-haired girl through gritted teeth.  
_

_End of Flashback_

That was the last straw. Without another word, the blue-haired girl, leaving a note of apology under her brother's pillow, left Garnet Manor that very night, and went to her grandfather's old house by the river (The house, as Rose later learned, was not among the declared properties of her grandfather, so it was not registered… not to mention the fact that it was protected by the Fidelius Charm, and as her grandfather's old maid, Mrs. Numern, had sworn an Unbreakable Vow never to reveal its location to anyone before her grandfather died, her parents were never able to find her.)…

And since then, Rose had not had any contact with her family for six years,(And since both the Walker and Garner families were very influential and could have contacted her easily, especially when she entered Hogwarts, it was an indication that she was undoubtedly no longer considered part of the family, not that she cared). The blue-haired girl was actually glad to have been able to break free, the one tinge of regret she had was the fact that she had to leave her brother behind...

**End of Monologue**

**-BREAK-**

(Rose POV)

"Still can't sleep young lady?"

"What do you think of her, Cu?" Rose asked the blue-haired man in the pocket-portrait she was holding in her hand, completely ignoring his question, referring her new dorm mate.

"Hmmm…" the man in the picture was musing, as he looked at the white-haired girl sleeping on the bed beside the blue-haired girl's. "Well… she does have a nice body…"

"I'm not talking about that, you WOMANIZER!" shouted Rose furiously at the man in the frame, thankful that it had been her nightly habit, since her first year, to place a Privacy Ward around her bed, which prevented her screams from coming in and getting out of any sound-enclosed-area. Having a talking guy in the frame after all (even if it was just a mini portrait), especially one with the same mind track as this perverted image of a hero, and in a room full of females… well, it's easy enough to tell. "I'm talking about what she said… about me being your descendant, I mean."

"Well, if you really are my descendant, you'd probably also be interested in women like m…WHOA! HEY!" shouted Cu Chulaiin, as the blue-haired girl started shaking his frame violently, noticing the familiar beastlike fury that appeared in her eyes…

_Who exactly is she?_ thought the blue-haired girl to herself, as she removed her eyes from the Irish hero and stared at the white-haired girl who was sleeping on the bed immediately adjacent to her left…

There was no question about it. According to her grandfather, the Walker family was originally known as the Setanta family, but for some reason, changed it many generations back. Apparently, this particular bit of information had been lost for centuries, and even Julia's mother did not think much of it, believing it as nothing more than a myth. Only Rose and her grandfather Frederick (and since he was now dead, only Rose) believed in it, knowing that the legend was in fact true.

But the rest of the Walker family had completely forgotten about it, disregarding it, the heritage from the hero no longer part of their official recorded history for centuries… and yet…

"I'm serious," said the girl in a eerily calm voice, her red eyes flashing dangerously. "And if you don't want to get thrown into Moaning Myrtle's…"

The blue-haired girl found it strange. The white-haired girl, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, recognized her, not by her official ancestry, but by the unofficial one which only Rose ever considered, before the blue-haired girl had even told the white-haired girl her name…

"Alright, alright, I get it already," said the blue-haired picture of a man quickly, remembering a certain not-so –pleasant experience... "You really want my opinion on that aspect, young lady?"

The blue-haired girl nodded.

"To be honest with ya," began the blue-haired picture. "I honestly don't know…HEY! GIVE ME A BREAK WILL YA!?" shouted the blue-haired man, as Rose started rattling his frame violently again.

"Useless," said the blue-haired girl in a growling voice that made the picture of the Cu Chulainn flinch…

Silence reigned for a while, as the blue-haired girl was deep in thought about the white-haired girl named Ilya, not because of what she did to Voldemort, but because of the fact that she had recognized Rose, not as a member of the noble house of Walker, but as a descendant of the Hound of Ulster…

"You know, young lady," sighed the portrait of the legendary spearman. "I can think of two ways for you to be able to get that damn uneasiness off your back."

"Name them…"

"Well first, you can use the direct approach. Talk to her, ask her about it. Didn't she say you can talk about it later?"

"Yeah, that's a good plan, thanks a lot," replied the blue-haired girl to the picture of the spearman sarcastically.

_As if that would work,_ thought Rose to herself. Having seen how Ilya converse with people so far, even going as far as to fool Lord Voldemort and debating with the Sorting Hat, the blue-haired girl, despite being talented in the particular aspect, knew just how far she could go with her conversational skills, and using said approach… was unlikely to yield any fruit…

Silence reigned for a while…

"So, mind telling me the second approach?" the blue-haired girl inquired of the Hound of Ulster.

"Well, young lady," began the red-eyed man in the picture, then lowered it to an almost inaudible whisper so that only the intended listener could hear (completely forgetting the fact that there was an anti-eavesdropping spell cast around them…)…

The blue-haired girl listened carefully, nodding her head from time to time, as Cu Chulainn continued with his advice.

_I guess that really is the only course of action that could work_, sighed Rose to herself, a worried, yet determined expression on her face…

**-BREAK-**

(Cu Chulainn POV)

"Rest well, young lady, you have a long day ahead of you…" whispered the picture of the Hound of Ulster to the blue-haired girl, not in a perverted way, but in a mixture of the way that a brother or father speaks with his sister or daughter…

It was already past three in the morning when Rose Ann Walker Garner finally managed to fall asleep, finally sufficiently at ease to be able to do so, having finally determined her next course of action…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter out then, people. This time, I guess I'm introducing another OC who will have a somewhat prominent role in my fic. For those of you who want to know more about Cu Chulainn, there's plenty of information on him, ranging from Wikipedia, the Type-Moon Wiki and many other sites. The Hound of Ulster was Servant Lancer in Fate/Stay Night, but he is not exactly the same Cu Chulainn that Ilya met in the 5th Holy Grail War, and the portrait will only have memories up to the point of the death of his natural life.

Anyway, I've really been busy so as I said before, I will at least try updating this fic at least once a week. And again, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Later then people...


	36. CHAPTER 34

**CHAPTER 34: QUARTET**

(Severus POV)**  
**

The start of term had been worse than uneasy. On the first day of classes, when Severus, Ilya, and Alice, were walking together on their way down to the Great Hall, students they met along the way would either scurry off in a different direction from them, or else, simply stood frozen on the spot, or (like a couple youngsters, probably first years), deliberately lie down on the floor, like people playing dead when faced by a ferocious bear.

And when they did reach said Hall itself to eat their breakfast, Severus could not help but notice that many of the students (including the Marauders, as well as Lily, which actually made the raven-haired young man sad, that he will not be able to pull through with his plan of making peace with her for the meantime.) would quickly finish their meals, either swallowing more quickly or else bringing the food with them to eat somewhere else, and a only a very few students remained.

To make matters worse, on their supposed-to-be very first N.E.W.T.s level Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson for the year (which would consist of all the students from all the Houses who got an Outstanding for their D.A.D.A O.W.L.s examination), Severus and Alice (who were taking the same classes) were the only students who entered the classroom, and they later learned from Professor Flitwick (to the two sixth year Ravenclaws' annoyance), that their new D.A.D.A. teacher (whose identity they did not yet know, and the raven-haired young man remembered that that particular seat was empty during the Sorting Ceremony) was rather busy and would start attending classes the following week. The most irritating part was that that particular information had been disseminated the night before, right after the feast, by the Prefects, yet no one had even bothered to tell them (Though there was also the slightest possibility that they were not listening, or else missed reading the announcement written on the information section in the Ravenclaw common room, but as far as Severus remembered, there was no such announcement placed there.).

The raven-haired young man could not help but be grateful for the fact that he had magecraft training during the summer holidays, as patience, restraint and controlling one's breathing and emotions was among the key concepts which he learned about, and these helped Severus cope with the rumors, fearful looks and suspicious glances which he received from students and teachers alike. The raven-haired young man actually missed the Marauders' antics, as they were now completely ignoring Severus (They were actually avoiding running into him, moving in a different direction whenever their paths were about to cross.), focusing their attention instead on Derrick Wilkes and his company of Slytherins (which the raven-haired young man was formerly part of).

He also could not help but be thankful that he now had Alice as a friend, who actually turned out to be even more of a short fuse than Severus used to be, and while he did not exactly enjoy having to play the role of the pacifist to keep the former Gryffindor calm (_How ironic, when I used to be the one who easily loses his temper, _thought Severus), he was pleased to hear the black-haired girl voicing out her complaints and sentiments about many of the very aspects that the raven-haired young man himself wanted to literally scream about…

As the week went by, however, the 'Dark Lady,' 'Dark Trio' phobia-euphoria eventually settled down to a point that the other students were now acting almost normally, able to 'tolerate' classes, eating meals, and literally staying at the same place as the three (or one of the three) without acting hysterically panicky, although many students still twitch nervously whenever they had eye contact, and would still leave the vicinity immediately after their purpose (either the lecture or eating or whatever) was achieved…

What made Severus worried the most, however, was not his own predicament, but Ilya's. Even though his girlfriend got the top marks for the entrance examination, she had to start at fifth year since she had not yet taken any O.W.L.s exams, and although they still spent their free time together, the silver-haired girl would have had to attend her classes alone…

And aside from the students and the teachers (including one particularly dangerous silver-bearded old man), they still had other problems to worry about (like Voldemort and Crouch), although Severus was fairly sure that they were safe from said troubles for the time being, within the wall of Hogwarts, having one of the potentially dangerous threats (Albus Dumbledore) keeping the other problems at bay…

Which is why Severus could not help but feel gratitude towards the Ravenclaw Prefect, Rose Ann Walker Garner, who was also the one who helped them out on their first night at Ravenclaw Tower, as she joined their little group. She was friendly, although a bit eccentric, as well as a fifth year who had the same classes as Ilya, and kept her company. She had been tagging along with the silver-haired girl whenever she met up with Severus and Alice during breaks, and sat together with them when they were staying at the Ravenclaw Common Room.

As far as the raven-haired boy could tell, while the blue-haired girl did not seem to have any close friends, she was significantly trusted and respected in her House. Thanks to their new friend, the other Ravenclaws were starting to warm up to them, treating them normally and looking at them as simply fellow students, the fearful, wary, and unfriendly aspect almost gone from their stares. (Some of them, despite being Intellectual Ravenclaws, had even began approaching and asking Severus Snape to do their homework for them, to which the raven-haired young man happily complied, at a reasonable price of course, smirking inwardly at the fact that he had new clients)…

**-BREAK-**

(Rose POV)

Rose had been staying in the company of Ilya and her companions for a little while now. At first, her purpose was simply to get close enough to the white-haired girl so that she can pry out the information she wanted from her…

_Flashback_

_"You should first try to get to know her better before asking her about it," said the image of an Irish hero to Rose. "Play nice, take it slow, don't act formal, make them… or at least her… your friend… or at least pretend to be her friend until you get what you want."_

_End of Flashback_

At first it was all supposed to be nothing but an act. Having had certain unpleasant childhood experiences, Rose opted to bury herself in books, spearmanship, and magic, focusing on other things instead of petty friendships and relationships. Of course, that did not mean that she completed isolated herself. She was still rather sociable, and her fellow Ravenclaws actually liked and respected her quite a bit, but she remained distant, not wanting to make any close ties, for fear of being hurt… her grandfather's portrait at home and the blue-haired man in the pocket-sized painting was all the company she needed. However…

_Flashback_

_It was Thursday night. The Ravenclaws were at the Astronomy Tower. Professor Louisana Sinistra, having had to go to bathroom, left the students to their own devices, requiring them to observe the constellations of the Northern Hemisphere when…_

_"WHOA"_

_"EEP!"_

_A strong gust of wind suddenly swept passed, sending charts flying all over the place._

_"HEY!"_

_Rose, taken by surprise, found herself chasing after her own chart, which was caught in the wind…_

_"GOTCHA!" shouted the blue-haired girl triumphantly, jumping up, as she caught the piece of parchment…_

_"WHA…"_

_The female Ravenclaw Prefect, in the panic-turned-into-relief moment, failed to notice that she had actually gone over the rails to grab her chart… and having taken one step too far, which was tantamount to jumping off the tower…_

_At that moment which actually lasted for less than a second, but which felt like a very long time to the blue-haired girl, Rose felt the worst fear she had ever felt in her life. She saw, as if in slow motion, everyone trying to get their charts back, not noticing that someone was actually going to fall off the tower…Rose was going to fall off to her death…_

_'It's over! I'm going to die!' thought the blue-haired girl bitterly in that moment, knowing it was useless to scream. Even if anyone noticed now, it would have been too late to save her… Rose did not have her wand with her… did not know how to Apparate… she was as good as dead already…_

_Then she felt a hand latch on into a tight grip on one of her arms… soft… yet with a firm grip…_

_Instinctively, the blue-haired girl grabbed onto it as tightly as she could…_

_"ROSE! HANG ON! NEED A LITTLE HELP HERE! DON'T YOU DARE LET GO!" shouted a familiar female voice, as the person, who Rose now saw had silver hair, extended and latched her other hand onto her arm, before, with amazing strength for a girl, pulling her back onto the tower…_

_"Rose!"_

_"Hey!"_

_"Are you alright!?"_

_Rose now found herself surrounded by her fellow Ravenclaws, worry in their voices, knowing what transpired._

_The blue-haired girl, however, was quiet, her ruby-red eyes set on one person…_

_She was staring at Ilya, who was standing immediately in front of her. The white-haired girl was wincing slightly, her right hand over her left shoulder…_

_"Thank Merlin you're okay…"_

_"You could have died…"_

_"Sorry we're a bit late… but our charts…"_

_"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE ROOT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" shrieked a female voice suddenly, causing the other students to jump._

_The Astronomy Tower became eerily silent, as a chilling, hostile intent was radiating from the silver-haired girl._

_"Ilya?" asked Rose quietly, her voice slightly trembling as she saw her cold emerald eyes, all the warmth that was normally there, gone…_

_Everyone was quiet, shaking in fear. unable to talk, unable to speak, a few students falling on their knees, as Ilya began to talk in a low, but clear voice, that every single person on the tower could here, cold fury emanating from every single word she spoke…_

_"Thank Merlin you're alright?" began the silver-haired girl quietly. "Are you ok? Sorry we're a bit late? Well, you really should be sorry, you bunch of hypocrites…" _

_The aura of hostility that was coming from Ilya right now was far more terrifying, compared to the one which Rose had felt from her when she faced Voldemort during the Hogwarts Express incident. This time… there was no doubt about it… she was really furious._

_"You knew she was going to die… you saw that Rose was about to fall off the tower, DON'T TRY AND DENY IT!" the white-haired girl shouted the last phrase, as some of the Ravenclaws were about to argue back, but lost their courage once again._

_"You knew…" the white-haired girl began again, returning to her low voice, but now it sounded more bitter than cold. "You knew she would have been hurt… you knew she could have been killed… you knew you would have been able to do something to help… but no… all you cared about were your Root-be-damned astronomy charts… well, that's typical of a Ravenclaw I guess… valuing knowledge over the life of a fellow human being… your little charts more important than the life of your friend…"_

_The Ravenclaws had no retort, the looks of fear on their faces replaced by looks of guilt, the silver-haired girl's words penetrating to the very depth of their conscience…_

_"Ilya, that's enough," said Rose quietly, as she stood up and approached the silver-haired girl, the warmth back in her eyes, as the blue-haired girl noticed that tears were starting to form on Ilya's emerald pair, not realizing that the same thing could be said about her own normally beast-like, ruby-red eyes. "I'm okay, see? It's al…"_

_"NO, IT'S NOT ALRIGHT!" shrieked the white-haired girl, causing the blue-haired girl to take a few steps back from Ilya. "AND YOU! JUMPING OFF TO YOUR DEATH SO AS NOT TO LOSE A ROOT-BE-DAMNED-ASTRONOMY CHART?! IS THAT REALLY HOW MUCH YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE, ROSE?! AS VALUABLE AS A PIECE OF PARCHMENT?! IF THAT'S HOW YOU SEE IT I COMPLETELY DISAGREE!"_

_"ALRIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH MS. EMIYA!" shouted a commanding female voice, which belonged to the Astronomy Professor, whose arrival no one noticed, being too occupied with what the silver-haired girl was saying…._

_….._

_The Astronomy class was cancelled for the rest of that evening, as Professor Sinistra, who apparently heard (and/or seen) enough, was an understanding person, and dismissed the Ravenclaws, while asking one of the students to take Ilya to the Hospital Wing, and a certain blue-haired girl gladly volunteered for the task._

_A painful silence passed between the two, as they walked towards the Hospital Wing…_

_The blue-haired girl could tell. Even though they had been in each other's company for only a few days, Ilya had undoubtedly considered her a friend, while she, in turn…_

_"I'm not going to apologize to you, Ms. Garnet," said Ilya in a cold tone, as she pretended to wipe the sweat from her forehead with her hands, but Rose knew that she was actually wiping away the tears that were forming in her eyes. "And if you… "_

_The blue-haired girl was unable to take it any longer. She knew what those words might mean, and she was frightened, afraid, that she will lose something important... something precious she had never noticed she now had… something which she might end up losing... something she might not be able to get back… There was no way she could allow it. Not a chance… _

_"I'M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!" cried Rose, as she fell on the floor on her knees, crying, as she had not done in a very, very, long time, the last time she did was during her first visit to her grandfather's grave, having shut her heart from other people for over five years…_

_"Rose," the blue-haired girl heard Ilya speak, hearing her wince amid the tears, as a pair of arms gently wrapped themselves around the blue-haired girl. _

_"Ilya?"_

_"There is nothing for you to apologize to me for…" said the white-haired girl in a gentle tone._

_"But…I…" sobbed the blue-haired girl._

_"Just never forget," whispered the white-haired girl in a motherly, firm, though rather raspy voice, as Rose felt Ilya's hand gently stroking her blue hair. "Whenever someone is hurt... that someone is not the only one who is hurting… for her friends who care and worry for her… will also be in pain…which is why one should value her own life… for in the eyes of her friends it is precious… and whenever they see her hurt… her friends are also hurt… and if she dies… a part of them also dies along with her…"_

_End of Flashback_

**-BREAK-**

(Rose POV)

"Whaa…"

It was Sunday morning. A certain blue-haired girl was feeling rather annoyed, as she felt that someone was shaking her awake.

"What do you want?" inquired Rose in an irritated tone.

"Oh, good morning Rose," said a female voice, which belonged to a black-haired girl named Alice, as she placed her mouth nearer her ear, so as not to disturb their other dorm mates. "Perfect timing… you wanted to know what we're up to this early, right?"

"Yes, I'm actually quite curious," replied the blue-haired girl, trying to keep a straight face, who felt half-excited, half-irritated, though she could not help but smile.

"Excellent," said Ilya quietly, who was also already up, a gentle smile appearing on her face as she looked Rose straight in the eye. "Now, if you'll excuse me… I'll just go and wake Sev… meet you in the common room in ten minutes…"

The white-haired girl left the girl's dormitory and headed off for the boy's sleeping quarters…

"Alice, you can go on ahead to the common room without me," said Rose to the black-haired former Gryffindor. "I'll just get changed first…"

"Are you really sure you want to go with us, Ms. Prefect?" inquired Alice teasingly. "I mean… who knows what we may be up to this early… considering the fact that there's a guy tagging along with us… "

Rose could not help but notice a familiar voice snicker, which thankfully Alice did not seem to notice, undoubtedly coming from the portrait of a perverted, womanizing, Irish hero, under her bed, but chose to ignore it…

"I doubt it," said the blue-haired girl in response, as she began to pull off her nightwear to change into the same type of attire that Alice and Ilya were wearing, gym clothes, (or in other words, attire that would allow greater mobility and flexibility)…

The black-haired girl opened her mouth to speak, but Rose cut her off…

"Look, I know they're together, but the way they've been acting, I doubt they've gone that far…"

"Are you sure?" inquired the black-haired girl, a mischievous smile plastered on her face…

"And even if they are doing it," said the blue-haired girl, who was starting to get rather irritated, feeling rather thankful she had plenty of experience with this kind of talk from the portrait of Cu Chulainn, which allowed her to counter well enough when it comes to such conversations. "I doubt they'll let anyone else join in…"

"You got me there," nodded Alice in agreement. "I was actually surprised when I first found out, but contrary to what I first believed, Severus is actually quite a nice guy once you got to know him. Pity that a certain someone I know just had to let her prejudice get the better of her… she has no idea just how nice a catch was the one she let go of…"

"Her?" said Rose inquiringly. "Are you talking about…"

"Anyway," said the black-haired female suddenly, as she let out a huge yawn (_Fake,_ thought the blue-haired girl.). "I think we better go… they're probably waiting in the common room for us by now… best not to leave them by themselves too much unless you'd like to…"

"Alright, I get it already," replied Rose irritably, as she headed towards the door, to the Ravenclaw Common room…

"OUCH!" groaned a male voice loudly.

"…I TOLD YOU NOT TO WEAR THOSE ANYMORE!" shouted a female voice furiously, which could only belong to one person.

"Oh…choud mowning Mnalice, choud mowning Nrose," greeted a raven-haired young man, who was wearing a pair of baggy old trousers, and whose face was currently being picked on by a pair of white hands, which immediately let go, their owner realizing the arrival of two other people in the room.

"You know if you keep that up, you'll probably end up waking the entire House," said Alice teasingly.

"Sorry about that, I forgot," replied the white-haired girl sheepishly. "And Sev… please go and get changed… "

"But…"

"If you don't want to, I'll help you do it for you…"

"Okay fine! I'll be right back…"

Rose could not help but smile…

Things were different now. How Ilya knew that the blue-haired girl was a descendant of the Hound of Ulster, Cu Chulainn, all the other things she had thought of asking while she was at it… no longer mattered. The white-haired girl might tell her or might not tell her, but Rose no longer cared. Before, her course of action was centered around that particular objective… Now, it hardly held any significance… For right now, all that really mattered…

Was that she had three new friends who she was sure would never turn their backs on her…

**-BREAK-**

(Multi-person POV)

"Haaa…haaa…haaa…haaa…"

It was six o'clock Sunday morning, about a week after term started. Four people were resting under a tree, after running thirty laps around the lake.

"Do the three of you really do this every morning?" inquired a blue-haired girl, exhausted-looking (and indeed, truly exhausted), as she lay down flat on the grass, the clouds in the sky now tinge with a red-orange color…

"Only since arriving at Hogwarts, actually," replied the white-haired girl to the query. "Before coming here, Sev and I normally do running exercises in the afternoon… still, I must admit I'm surprised that you two are actually having trouble keeping up… especially you Alice, after I what I saw you do on the train… and even though you've already been running with us for a week…"

"Easy for you to say," panted a black-haired girl named Alice, who had one hand grabbing one of the lower branches of the tree for support. "With all the homework the teachers piled up on us last summer, we barely had time to do anything else…"

"No, I believe you could have balanced things had you tried, like me and Sev," said the silver-haired girl, who was also panting, but her breathing was far less heavy than either Rose or Alice, pointing at the raven-haired boy, who, despite the fact that he was still noticeably breathing heavily, was now jogging in place. "He probably had the same amount of homework as the two of you, while I had to do a lot of studying for the entrance exam, but we were still able to continue with our physical exercises. All it would have taken you was a little time management..."

"Ilya," said Alice suddenly, as she stared at something in the distance.

"Anything wrong?" inquired Rose, though she also felt something, and the expression on her companions' faces was enough to answer her question.

"I can see that," replied the white-haired girl, as she approached her boyfriend. "Sev…"

"Yeah, I know," said the raven-haired young man, who without even looking, also noticed the four familiar magical signatures headed their way, two likely to be hostile, one seemingly rather between friendly and neutral, one playing safe, trying to seem neutral but still detectable as hostile…

They were still about a hundred yards away, walking in the direction of Severus and company…

One werewolf…

One cowardly stuttering midget…

One rather handsome-looking (compared to his three companions at least), with a dog-like bark…

One messy-haired boy with eyeglasses…

The Marauders…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another Chapter out. And again, I would like to state that there are a lot of things which I have to do, so I might not be able to update this often, but I will try to do so at least once a week.

Still, I must admit that aside from my job, a lot of time I spend in front of the computer is either eaten by watching p**n, reading manga, and indeed, a lot of time reading other fanfics.

Oh, and by the way, just for clarification, the Professor Sinistra in this fic is not Aurora Sinistra who was the Astronomy teacher during Harry Potter's era. When I checked the HP wiki for the profile on said Professor... well, she was just too young, so I opted to create a sideline OC who shares the same family name but overall, a different person...

Anyway...like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	37. CHAPTER 35

**CHAPTER 35: MOONLIGHT**

(Remus POV)

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The Marauders, whose four members include the werewolf Remus Lupin (a.k.a. Moony), the rat animagus Peter Pettigrew (a.k.a. Wormtail), the dog animagus Sirius Black (a.k.a. Padfoot) and the stag animagus, as well as the group's unofficial leader, James Potter (a.k.a. Prongs), were currently walking in the direction of the lake, towards a group of people who were currently resting under a tree.

Remus Lupin, the werewolf, was the one who wanted to approach them, wanting to have a conversation with them, particularly a certain silver-haired female, who goes by the name Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya.

And as for the reason why the werewolf wanted to talk with the white-haired girl, who many of the students, after the Hogwarts Express incident (During which Emiya, along with Snape and Alice, in an instant, confronted and defeated You-Know-Who, who had brought an army with him, in one of the most humiliating ways possible. The Dark Lord and his minions did not even manage to retaliate, as they were sent plummeting into oblivion, as Padfoot and Prongs, who witnessed the whole event in close proximity, described it.), now referred to as the Dark Lady… well…

_Flashback_

_(Remus POV)_

_"Guys, I think it's better if you turn into your Animagus forms now," said Moony, as he saw that the sky outside was dark, the sun completely beneath then horizon, the moon soon to shine its cursed light upon him._

_It was Saturday evening, the night of the full moon. Once a month, Remus Lupin, being a werewolf, had to stay at the Shrieking Shack, were he could transform into his beast form without ending up harming his fellow Hogwarts students…_

_"Right, mate," said Prongs, before he, along with Wormtail and Padfoot, changed into their animal forms._

_Soon, the full moon was up, as it was unveiled by the moving clouds, the moonbeam penetrating through the tiny holes of the roof of the Shrieking Shack._

_'Here we go again,' sighed Remus inwardly, having experienced the painful sensation of transforming into his full-fledged wolf form once a month for many years, yet still finding it difficult to cope with it. The transformation was excruciatingly painful, literally. _

_The worst part, however, was not the pain, but the fact that Remus had very little to no control of his actions whenever he turned into his wolf form, the beast side of his personality (which was undoubtedly created the moment he was bitten by the infamous, Merlin-be-damned, werewolf, Fenrir Greyback) completely took over, and the man side of the werewolf had very little to no recollection of the things that transpired while he is in his beast state…_

_It was true that he was thankful to his three Marauder friends, who took the time and effort to try and lessen his pain. In all honesty, while they did not tell him, Remus knew even up to this moment, James, Sirius and even the Potions-abysmal Peter, were still earnestly researching on ways to combat or cure his lycanthropy (sacrificing some of their precious study and Maraudering time to do so). He would sometimes catch them reading books about it, although his friends would immediately change the subject whenever he tried to start a conversation…_

_At the risk of their own wizarding career and lives, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs became Animagi (And such transformations can go horribly wrong, to a point that failure effects can be terrible and irreversible, and would even be a far worse fate than becoming a werewolf.), so that they can change into animal forms (If bitten in animal form, a wizard will not get infected, plus the fact that the werewolf rarely attacked other animals, focusing mainly on humans. This theory was confirmed as a fact by his three friends, although the details of the near-miss to gaining such information made Remus furious for a while), and thus be able to keep Remus company during the full moon._

_While Remus does not have full memories during his transformed state, he could help but appreciate the feeling of not being alone during those times, which made both Remus, the main human personality (because he was not alone) and the full-moon dominant wolf personality (because the wolf was set free from the Shrieking Shack and allowed to run free, though somewhat annoyed as it was always stopped by the other three from attacking people.) happy…_

_The moon was now up, and some moonlight was now shining upon the werewolf Remus Lupin. Soon enough, he would begin to feel extreme pain, physically, as his body transforms into its wolf form, and mentally, as the beast's instinct, at its peak during the full moon, overpowers the human side…_

_'Hmmm?' thought the werewolf to himself, as a minute passed. 'It seems like its taking longer than usual.' Remus thought to himself, but thought nothing of it. Even though it was painful, he had no choice but to go through and put up with it, and thus continued to brace himself._

_'Huh?' thought Moony, as another minute passed, his three friends, in their animal forms watching him curiously._

_Five minutes…_

_Ten minutes…_

_"What in the name of Merlin?" gasped the werewolf, feeling shocked and confused that he was still not feeling any pain, that he was still able to think logically, that he could still hear his own voice. Something strange was definitely going on…_

_In his confusion, the werewolf turned to his side, and ended up looking at his reflection…_

_Remus approached the mirror in the room, curiously looking at his own features. The werewolf blinked, unable to believe it, unsure if it was all just a dream, as his three friends, in their animal forms, were staring at him, their stares visible through their reflection…_

_The werewolf raised his right arm. To his surprise, the human in the mirror did the same. Remus winced in pain as he pinched himself on his cheek… and could not believe that the same pained expression appeared on the man in the mirror… _

_For someone who was normally witty and quick on uptakes, it took almost an hour for Remus to assess and acknowledge the situation…_

_"Moony?" inquired the voice of one of Remus' best friends, James Potter, who had reverted to his human form, who was shocked, as the messy-haired boy's reflection revealed, his hazel eyes wide in awe…_

_Remus Lupin was, after all, a guy… and a guy's pride enabled him to stop himself whenever he felt like crying… _

_Yet the werewolf could not stop the tears that began flowing from his eyes, not tears of sadness, but tears of joy, as his friends reverted into their human forms to console the crying werewolf (?), Moony's analytical mind finally landing on the only plausible theory, on the only logical explanation…_

_"HAHAHA! HEY, LOOK GUYS!" shouted Remus, as tears of happiness continued to trickle down his face, his friends silently looking at him in joyful disbelief…_

_Remus Lupin ran out of the Whomping Willow, almost like a madman, unmindful of the possibility that he could get into trouble if someone saw him, basking in the moonlight, which no longer turned him into a horrible, dangerous beast… no longer the hateful curse it once was..._

_End of Flashback_

**-BREAK-**

(Sirius POV)

"DAMN WENCH!" roared an angry-looking (and indeed, very worried and very angry) Sirius, as he slammed his fist onto a tree, before starting to take brisk steps. "HEY PRONGS, HURRY UP! WE NEED…"

"I KNOW! STOP SHOUTING WILL YOU?!" replied the stag animagus James Potter, who was currently scanning the Marauders Map with his eyes, as three out of four of the Marauders were heading quickly back up to the castle, even though the four of them were together when they headed for the lake…

_Flashback_

_(Sirius POV)_

_"AAAAH!" shouted a familiar female voice, which could only belong to a certain black-haired female._

_Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were currently walking towards a tree near the lake, where four people were resting, including a familiar-by-face blue-haired girl, a greasy-git, a silver-haired her witch, and their possibly imperiused (In other words, possibly under the Imperius curse or some sort of mind control enchantment) friend Alice…_

_The dog animagus saw that something was flying towards them: it was a towel, and it probably belonged to one of the girls, the piece of cloth must have gotten caught in the wind, but Padfoot did not think much of it. There were more important matters to worry about at the moment..._

_"Mmmpf?!" _

_A muffled sound came from one of Sirius' best friends Moony, as a blue towel hit him full in the face._

_For a split second, the dog animagus (And as Sirius was sure, as well as the rat and stag animagus behind him), snickered, seeing the funny situation their werewolf friend was in, but then…_

_"MOONY!" shouted the three Marauders, shocked, as Remus suddenly vanished into thin air…_

_Sirius, as well as his two companions, looked towards the direction lake, and felt panic, as they saw that the four people who were resting by the tree were also gone…_

_End of Flashback_

The dog animagus knew something like this could happen. He just knew it, and it was for precisely this reason that he, James and Peter, decided to come along, even though they absolutely did not want to be in close proximity with a certain greasy-haired git and a Lily-Evans-look-alike white-haired girl. And yet, even though they did go, they were unable to do anything…

It was bad enough that they had to stay in the same classroom as that particular greasy-haired git during lessons. (N.E.W.T.s classes, after all, are held, in which the students of all Houses are bunched together and taught simultaneously.). If Padfoot were to be honest with himself, he would have loved nothing more than to continue with their usual torment-Snivellus-the-slimy-Slytherin-git-routine. The problem was, his instincts prevented him from doing so.

Even though a few days had already passed since the incident, what the dog animagus witnessed was still fresh in his mind, the Great Hall's Sorting Feast events leaving a less lasting impression. Wanting to get away from the blood purity-superiority nonsense of the Blacks, Padfoot proved that he was different from the rest of his family, having managed to get himself Sorted into the House of the Brave, Gryffindor.

Which is why the dog animagus could not help but feel furious and disappointed with himself. Right now, the member of the House of Lions found it painful to have to adapt, calculate and be cunning, having no choice but to act like a typical Slytherin... And he knew that Prongs probably had the same line of thinking in this matter, as his messy-haired friend merely gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut, no longer trying to pull his usual pranks and throw hexes at Snivellus.

He knew it. Sirius knew it instinctively. He did not know how it happened (although the dog animagus guessed it must be something connected with the Dark Arts), but there was no doubt it. Severus Snape was now more powerful and dangerous than before. For some reason, he was now able to cast magic wandlessly (although the greasy-haired git still used his wand during the classroom sessions, undoubtedly to hide this fact from the teachers).

Still, this was not the real reason why Sirius no longer bothered with the former-Slytherin-turned-Ravenclaw (although as far as he was concerned, Snivellus is and will always be a slimy Slytherin serpent). It was in this aspect, however, wherein Sirius and his best friend James differed in their opinion…

James, like always, despite everything they have seen and witnessed, was still hell-bent on putting the blame on Snivellus. The reason why Sirius was worried, however, was less because of the greasy-haired git…

…than it was because of the girl who looked exactly like Lily Evans, the silver-haired girl Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya…

While Padfoot shared the same sentiments of dislike, disgust, and hatred of the former Slytherin Severus Snape that James held, this did not cloud his judgment on the overall view of the situation. For while he too, wanted to put all the blame on Snape, his instinct was screaming at him that it definitely wasn't the case.

According to one of the messy-haired glasses boys' many theories, the white-haired girl Ilyasveil was probably some poor innocent girl, who, by a number of possible theories, was placed under the control of Severus Snape. And it was also likely Snivellus used some kind of dark enchantments to make her look like Lily Evans. As to why he was going against You-Know-Who, it was probably because of some non-noble reason, probably wanting to overthrow the current Dark Lord and take his place…

The dog animagus, however, merely listened and agreed, though deep down he did not. For according to Sirius' gut feeling, the one in control was not Snivellus, but rather it was the silver-haired girl…

And that fact greatly worried Sirius. Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya was definitely a powerful sorceress, there was no doubt about it in the dog animagus' mind. And also…

_Flashback_

_"ROOOOOOOOAR!" shouted the trolls in a battlecry, starting to advance, but it was too late…_

_The ground was breaking apart in all places (Excluding the spot where Severus, Alice, and Ilya, had vacated to.), as trolls and humans alike, began falling, plummeting…_

_"Incredible," muttered Alice._

_"WHAT DID YOU DO, GIRL?!" screamed the Dark Lord in fury. He raised his wand to cast a spell, but before he could even utter it, the ground beneath Lord Voldemort gave way, as he, along with all of his followers, began falling into the dark abyss below, with a loud SPLASH onto the flowing water, an underground river, the ground, rocks and falling debris along with them…_

_"Fufufu…That's the problem with some people, all talk no bite," said Ilya, a cruel smile on her face. "Lord Voldemort, all powerful wizard, supposedly the greatest Dark Lord to walk on the planet, unmatchable, unbeatable in every aspect…pfft…what a joke…fufufu…ahahahahaha…"_

_All of a sudden, a cold, cruel, female laugh rang through the air._

_"HAHAHAHA"_

_Screams and roars could be heard, as trolls and humans alike attempted to claw at the collapsing ground, to no avail…_

_"HAHAHAHA"_

_The occupants of the Hogwarts Express could not help but gasp, awed into silence, as they watched the unbelievable event unfolding before them, clearly hearing the words that the girl screamed into the night, as the sun finally set…_

_"YOU'RE A THOUSAND YEARS TOO EARLY TO EVEN THINK OF FACING ME, VOLDEMORT!"_

_The silver-haired girl continued laughing, her mirth uncontrollable, undoubtedly at the fact that she made Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark Wizard in existence, look like nothing but a fool…_

_End of Flashback_

"DAMN IT! I CAN'T FIND HIM ANYWHERE!" shouted James Potter, as he literally threw the Marauder's Map after they spent almost an hour scanning it, on the floor of the empty classroom where they headed off to to regroup and reorganize. Their friend Remus, Snivellus, the silver-haired wench, Alice, the ones whose names they were familiar of… their dots where nowhere on the map…

And Sirius knew that it wasn't a good sign. The Marauders Map never lied, and it had never failed them before. And if even someone as powerful as Albus Dumbledore could not conceal himself from their little locator… then it could only mean one thing… there was only one logical explanation…

One of the Marauders, Remus Lupin, was no longer within the boundaries of Hogwarts…and was probably taken hostage… somewhere else…

"OH NO! WHAT'RE WE GOING TO… HEY, PADFOOT WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!"

But the dog animagus did not respond, as he continued running, knowing that his two companions were doing the same, picking up their pace, not far behind him.

_We have to tell Professor Dumbledore,_ thought Padfoot, who now stood in front of the stone gargoyle which guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office. He was their only hope…

"COCKCROACH CLUSTER!" shouted Sirius, thankful that he had noticed the headmaster's dot on the Marauder's Map say the password when they were scanning it some minutes back, the statue moving aside to allow them enter…

**-BREAK-**

(Remus POV)

"I don't believe it! I mean, did you see the look on their faces?!" said the former Gryffindor, Alice in delight, as she fell to her knees, clutching her stomach, laughing, unable to contain her mirth, as the silver-haired girl Emiya and the blue-haired female Ravenclaw Prefect, who Remus knew went by the name Rose Garnet, having been acquainted with her since he became a Gryffindor Prefect, were also laughing…

"To think that I actually had to be cautious around Potter and his little friends," added the raven-haired young man, Severus Snape, one of his hands on his forehead, and who was also chuckling in amusement (though the former Slytherin frowned for a moment when he met Remus' eyes, but quickly looked away), looking at the quickly retreating backs of Remus' friends, running as fast as they could towards the castle.

Remus Lupin was frozen stiff standing, shocked by what had transpired in the last thirty seconds (Although the reason he was frozen stiff was because he actually could not move any part of his body except his eyes, undoubtedly caused by a spell which Moony had not noticed in the surprise of the moment.). Being observant, and having an analytic mind, he managed to guess what had happened, but still found it hard to believe.

The blue towel, which was thrown at him, was undoubtedly a Port Key, having recognized the sensation, and it was probably set to activate once a person touches it. Said Port Key was undoubtedly aimed at him, of that Remus had no doubt of. The blue towel was slightly wet, and the breeze was probably more likely not strong enough to lift it, so it was undoubtedly propelled by magic towards Remus. After it hit him in the face, the werewolf(?) was immediately transferred to the designated location of arrival…

"Wait a minute…" Remus vaguely heard the blue-haired girl say in a rather tense voice…

And as for the place where he was transported, the Port Key brought him…

…to a tree which was only ten meters away from where Snape's company was staying at…

"Oh, my, my…" the werewolf heard the voice of Alice say in a teasing voice…

The stranger part, however, was that his three Marauder friends did not even seem to notice him, even when they appeared to be looking straight in his direction, and thus the werewolf suspected that some kind of concealing enchantment must be in place, either on him, or on an specific area, the latter more probable.

"I'M SO SORRY ROSE! I OVERLOOKED…." a voice that sounded just like Lily Evan's was saying, undoubtedly belonging to the Emiya girl, but Lupin hardly gave it any attention, too buried in his own thoughts…

For the white-haired girl and her companions merely walked towards Remus' location, yet Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs did not even seem to notice, panicking, screaming, thinking that they must have Apparated or Port Keyed to a different location, not realizing that they were just meters away from each other…

And to top it off, it seems like even their trump card for mischief management, the Marauders' Map, which could locate even the Headmaster's whereabouts, could not detect them, for after ten minutes, Remus' three friends made their way back up to the castle, undoubtedly to try and look for him there…

"Ummm… excuse me?" inquired a female voice, as the source, the blue-haired Ravenclaw, was now standing immediately in front of him. "But would you mind?" The girl was pointing at something that seemed to be on Remus' right side, but he did not know what.

"Oh, right, I'll remove it," said the silver-haired girl, as one of Remus' knees buckled slightly, the werewolf having regained control of his bodily functions.

Still feeling hazy, Remus took one lifted his right arm and noticed that it was holding the towel-turned Port Key that was thrown at him, inspecting it, bringing it closer to his face…

_Hmmm…It smells kind of nice_… thought the werewolf, absentmindedly sniffing it…

Then, on reflex, Remus turned his gaze back to the one who just spoke to him, undoubtedly its owner. One of the blue-haired girl's hands was outstretched, her face with a red tinge on it…

"Give it," said Rose Garnet in a growl-like voice suddenly, her red eyes flashing dangerously…

_Hmmm? Did I do something wro… _thought Remus to himself for a fraction of second. It took another fraction of a second for his brain to process something he should have realized…

"WHOA! I'M SORRY!" shouted Remus, as the thought finally hit him, feeling his face burn, immediately letting go of the towel, which landed on the female Ravenclaw Prefect's outstretched hand…

_What in the name of Merlin was I doing?_ thought the werewolf to himself.

"Oh my goodness... Remus," mused Alice, with a malicious smile on her face. "I never realized you were that kind of person…"

"Wha…" began Remus weakly, but closed his mouth, not knowing what to say next…

"He's part of Potter's merry Marauder gang, Alice…" added Snape, who was wearing a sneer on his face. "What else would you expect?"

"Well, I did hang out with them from time to time you know, Severus, and I never once saw nor heard Remus do or say anything indecent," the black-haired former Gryffindor shot at the former Slytherin.

"Who can really tell, though," said the silver-haired girl Emiya seriously. "I mean…for all we know, it could all have been nothing but an act… so he can approach girls without arousing any suspicion…"

"Now that you mention it…" replied Alice, who now seemed to be deep in thought, but as the smile was still on her face, Remus guessed that she was probably just pretending to do so. "You could be right…"

"You…" growled the blue-haired girl menacingly, behaving differently from how she did during Prefect meetings. "You…"

_Dear Merlin!_ thought the werewolf.

Remus felt frightened. Who wouldn't be? Even though he knew it was unintentional, Remus could not help but notice that the blue-haired girl in front of him already had a verdict, guilty, and the snide comments of her companions only added fuel to the fire…

Remus knew. With his intellectual mind, he knew exactly what he had done wrong, although not on purpose. He wanted to shout out the words 'I'M INNOCENT' but couldn't, for even now that the Ravenclaw Prefect had a murderous look on her face, undoubtedly aimed at him, the werewolf actually found it… kind of… cute…

The most upright of the Marauders was no longer bound by any curse. He wanted to run, but for some reason, he stood rooted to the spot, his legs refusing to obey him, his eyes not wanting to move itself away from the blue-haired girl's face, which Remus found... beautiful… dangerously beautiful…

"YOU PERVERT!"

WHAM!

_She has a mean left hook,_ thought the werewolf, who was on the verge of losing consciousness, half-exasperated, half-amused…

Remus could not help but smile, as the last thing he saw was the face of Rose Garnet, in all its cute, beast-like fury… before passing out…

**-BREAK-**

(Sirius POV)

"DAMN IT!" roared a dog animagus, as he, James and Peter, got out of the Headmaster's office and started running as fast as they could towards the Great Hall…

It wasn't exactly what you could call the wisest move. Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, worried about their friend, all agreed that reporting what happened to Dumbledore was the best option…

So they waited…

and waited…

and waited…

and waited…

But no Headmaster went in to greet them…

_How could we have been so stupid,_ thought Sirius bitterly, blaming their lack of proper judgment to the panic they were feeling.

When they had been in the Headmaster's office for about half an hour and no Dumbledore came, Sirius borrowed (grabbed) the Marauder's Map from his best friend Prongs and inspected it, only to find that their Headmaster was in the Great Hall.

It was breakfast time after all, so that should not have been surprising. But to those who have great worry hanging over their heads…

_Hang in there, Moony,_ thought Padfoot, worried for his friend's safety, as he, James and Peter took another turn, another shortcut towards the Great Hall…

**-BREAK-**

(Remus POV)

"Guh…" groaned a certain werewolf, as he regained consciousness.

"I must admit, Ilya," said a blue-haired girl, as she munched on her third fried spring roll. "You should be the one in charge of the kitchen… you cook even better than the House-Elves."

"It's not that I don't want to," replied the white-haired girl, sighing. "But it would take a lot of time from my already tight schedule… and the House-Elves will probably begrudge me from taking their job from them…"

_How did I end up in this situation again?_ thought Remus to himself, as he sat up straight on the grass…

The werewolf started recollecting his thoughts, but there was no need to, as everything returned the moment his eyes met a pair of fierce red, beast-like ones…

_Oh, right…_ thought the werewolf, twitching guiltily, as he saw that the blue-haired girl was now glaring at him, as the other three people in the vicinity stopped eating, all eyes were now on him…

Knowing that it was the right thing to do, the werewolf inhaled deeply, before talking. The first thing he had to do was apologise…

"I….um…. I would like to apol… MMMM?!"

But his words were interrupted as something was forcefully shoved into his mouth…

"Come now, Remus, relax… just join us for breakfast first instead," said Alice, whose words and actions were not in good chronology, having forced a fried spring onto him, and was now beginning to manually orchestrate his face into a munching motion, then forcing him to swallow it…

"See, that wasn't so bad?" said the black-haired girl with a smile.

"Merlin! Alice! What happened to you?" croaked Remus, as he swallowed the rest of the food (though the werewolf could not deny that it did indeed taste good), shocked by what he was experiencing first-hand. He had been in the black-haired girl's company for years, hanged out with her, stayed in the same common room, yet as far as Remus knew, Alice was a shy, quiet, and non-talktative person…

"Hey? Is that supposed to be an insult, Mr. Female Aroma Sniffer?" retorted Alice, who frowned for a moment, but said frown almost instantly turned into a smirk.

"Whaa…" began the werewolf, but he was immediately cut off by a male voice.

"Had I known, I would have focused all my efforts hexing you instead of Potter," said Snape, who was wearing a scowl on his face. "You must have been having the time of your life… with your enhanced sense of smell… sniffing girls wouldn't have been a prob…"

"HEY!" shouted Remus, feeling insulted, knowing exactly what the greasy-haired git was talking about. "TAKE THAT BA…MMMM?!"

Unfortunately, he was unable to continue talking, as Alice stuffed another spring roll into his mouth (Actually, this time, three spring rolls were shoved into his mouth all at the same time, probably just to shut him up.).

"That's a waste of good food, Alice," said the blue-haired girl coldly, who was still continuously gazing at Remus with hostile intent, her red, beast-like eyes narrowed in irritation (which made the werewolf flinch.).

He was not pleased. Their assumptions and accusations about him were absolutely, completely, without a doubt, incorrect, prejudiced, untrue, false… (_Well, except maybe for one case,_ thought Remus guiltily).

"Anyway, Remus Lupin," began another female voice, in a cheerful, yet formal tone, which undoubtedly belonged to the silver-haired girl. "I think it's best that we get down to business…"

The werewolf gulped, remembering exactly the reason why he approached them in the first place…

"What do you want?" inquired the white-haired girl, straightforwardly.

Remus took a deep breath, before he stated his objective…

In truth, the werewolf(?) was quite certain. Remus was quite sure that the silver-haired girl was the one behind it. If he was to be honest with himself, the words that he wanted to utter right now were 'thank you'. However… not wanting to jump into conclusions, Remus Lupin decided to handle things in a step by step fashion instead. He will first try and confirm things…

"I want answers…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter out then…

I suppose I don't really have to state this, but just in case anyone will notice (and yeah one of my friends at work already noticed it), since the Harry Potter book series itself does not exactly follow the natural, real-life full moon cycle, I won't either. I'll place it on the specific dates where they will be convenient for the plot.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter…

Later then, people…


	38. CHAPTER 36

**CHAPTER 36: MUSINGS**

(Severus POV)

"What were you thinking?!"

"Have you gone insane?!"

"Trying to pull one on You-Know-Who?!"

"You must have been out of your mind!"

It was Sunday evening, nearly two weeks since the fall semester has started. Severus, Ilya, Alice and Rose were currently sitting in the Ravenclaw Common Room, with some of their fellow Housemates.

At first things had been awkward. The Ravenclaws, with good reason (from their perspective at least), at first, were distant from their new House Members. Actually not just distant, but unwelcoming and unpleasant. In the beginning, the air was filled with a mixture of fear and dislike for the three of them…

Now, however…

"Lord Voldemort should actually be grateful for what we did, you know," said Ilya, frowning, making some of the Ravenclaws (including Alice) shudder from the mention of the name. "I mean those things… If anyone here is part troll, then I apologize in advance… but to be honest, the army the Dark Lord brought with him… they, to simplify it, literally, stink, their smell was dreadful… I was actually doing Lord Voldemort a favor by making him and his unhygienic minions to take a bath in an underground river… Sev here was actually about to faint…"

"Hey!" the raven-haired young man cut his girlfriend off. "That's not true…Apologize!"

The air froze, as the temperature of the room seemed to have dropped by a couple of degrees…

"Apologize to you? What for?" I don't remem…" began the white-haired girl, with a half-offended, half-amused look on her face, but Severus interrupted once again.

"Not to me, Ilya… you should apologize to the fish…"

"The fish?" inquired one a Ravenclaw sixth year named John.

"That's right," said the raven-haired young man seriously. "If you send a hundred, foul-smelling trolls hurtling into a river, what do you think would happen… Oh, those poor innocent fish…"

"Severus has a point there, Ilya" nodded Alice in agreement. "With that level of pollution… you probably just annihilated an entire colony of aquatic life…"

Shuddering sounds can be heard in the room, as some of the other Ravenclaws who were sitting with them probably imagined what they were talking about, although all of them were also snickering at the same time. The silver-haired girl stayed silent for a few moments, a smirk appearing on her lips, before talking…

"Better them than us," said the silver-haired girl, her smile turning into a frown for a moment, but quickly reverted back to a smile. "Though I must say I'm rather surprised with you Sev…"

"Huh?" inquired the raven-haired young man, with a puzzled expression on his face. "What do you mean, Ilya?" The raven-haired young man could not help but notice that the other people in the common room especially one blue-haired girl and one black-haired girl, were now staring at him curiously.

"It's the first time I heard you try and tell a joke," mused Ilya…

"And failed miserably at it," commented a blue-haired girl dryly.

"Oh, my, my…" mused the black-haired girl Alice, with a smirk on her face.

_What in the name of Merlin? _thought Severus, and he felt annoyed, his face twitching into a scowl, as he picked up what was going on. They were teasing him. _Damn it… Alice is rubbing off on me…_

The raven-haired young man could not help but blame the black-haired former Gryffindor. Having spent time in the company of his girlfriend, Alice, and Rose, Severus realized that he must have been unconsciously picking up a few of their mannerisms. And apparently, unfortunately, he seemed to have acquired a little bit (_too much_) of Alice's teasing habit.

The raven-haired young man was about to open his mouth with an undoubtedly rude response when something soft pulled him closer to it, an action which Severus knew made him blush, forgetting all about his rising temper which was there just a second ago…

"Now, now, Sev," began his white-haired girlfriend, as she leaned her head on his chest. "It's not like it's a bad thing…"

The raven-haired young man was in turmoil. He already had a hard time trying to restrain himself whenever he and his beautiful girlfriend were in close proximity, touching physically, the addictive smell of Ilya's hair filling up his nostrils…

And with a number of Ravenclaws were whispering among themselves (But since Severus can hear every word they were saying, it should not really count as whispering, should it?) , with annoying expressions on their faces, watching them being lovey-dovey…

Severus already had a half-mind to just take Ilya and flee to a more secluded location, finding it difficult to continue being exposed to so many annoying stares. Still…

"I'm sorry, Ilya but I don't agree with you," commented Rose, trying to make her voice sound like that of someone who was irritated, but the beast-like grin on her face gave her away. "Having one Alice is enough… two Alices in the group isn't exactly something you could call a good thing."

"And what do you mean by that, eh, Ms. Stuck-Up-Kill-Joy-Prefect?" shot the black-haired girl, frowned, as she and Rose stood up and began staring down each other…

"Oh, you know what I mean by that Alice…" smirked the blue-haired girl.

"I don't. But I do know you enjoy having a guy sniff at your scent…" replied the black-haired female, as the scowl on her face turned into a malicious smile.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" said the blue-haired, who froze for a second, the surprise from what she heard still evident in her voice.

"Oh, you know what I mean by that, Rose…" smirked the black-haired girl, as the blue-haired girl's face contorted into a frown…

"Shouldn't we try and stop them?" the raven-haired young man asked his girlfriend.

"If you want me to," replied Ilya reluctantly. "Though I think it would be better if we just let them get it out of their system… keeping stress within oneself is definitely not good for one's health…"

"Never mind then," said Severus, putting his arms around Ilya, no longer feeling the pressure from the watchers that had been tormenting him moments before…

_This isn't so bad,_ thought the raven-haired young man inwardly, feeling amused, as Alice and Rose started circling each other, in a seemingly hostile manner, the attention of the onlookers diverted from himself and his girlfriend (While all of them watched, most of them back away to the edge of the room, undoubtedly not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.), as the two girls 'assisted each other' in lifting a table to the center of the room, then each of them grabbing a chair, before placing their hands on the table…

**-BREAK-**

(Rose POV)

"195…196…197... ah, damn!" panted a blue-haired girl, as she fell onto the floor of the topmost part of the Ravenclaw Tower, the terrace, exhausted.

"Told you you're out of shape, young lady," teased the voice of the picture of an Irish hero, the portrait of whom was made to lean on a wall…

"Oh, shut up, you womanizer," retorted Rose to the pocket-sized portrait of Cu Chulainn, feeling irritated.

It was Monday, 2 o'clock in the morning. Rose Ann Walker Garnet, was currently doing some daily morning exercises…

"That's what you get for neglecting your training," said the man in the picture. "So I suggest you start listeni…"

"Why should I lis…"

**"Listen to me."**

The blue-haired girl shuddered. Even though the Hound of Ulster did not shout at him, even though she knew that it was just a portrait of the Irish hero, Rose could not help but notice. The usual cheery, mocking, teasing tone was gone, now replaced by a beast-like, imperial demeanor.

It has been a long time since the girl had last seen the portrait of the Hound of Ulster act like this. The image of Cu Chulainn, while normally easy-going and good-natured (in a perverted, womanizing way), was like a completely different person when he was instructing the blue-haired girl on martial arts and spearmanship, which Rose guessed was something which Cu Chulainn got from her(The Hound of Ulster's) master, the female warrior Scathach, who whipped his ass into shape…

And now, his portrait was applying that strictness to his own student…

"…no more of your silly make-up sessions young lady, you are already beautiful enough without it… and if you're worried about what you women refer to as nasty, bulging, overdeveloped muscles, then I suggest you find a way to handle that part on your own. I for one don't think it's that bad for a girl to have muscles, that actually turns me on, you know…

"Why you…" growled the blue-haired girl, as the serious tone of her 'training instructor' momentarily returned to its teasing tone.

"Although," the blue-haired man in the picture cut her off, the beast like indifference more dominant in his tone once again. "You can ask your friend Ilya about it… she might know something… and while we're on that subject… you're not just pretending to be her friend, are you?"

"No, I'm not," replied Rose to the portrait without hesitation. "Ilya… she's… no…not just Ilya…they're my friends. True friends…"

"Even the girl who just beat you in arm wrestling? Even though you were taught by none other than me… yet she still beat you?"

The blue-haired girl frowned as she recalled the events that transpired a few hours back.

"Friendly competition," replied Rose to the blue-haired portrait evenly. "And for your information our score was 10-9, it was a pretty close match."

_Alice can be annoying at times, but she's still a great companion,_ thought the blue-haired girl.

"Oh, is that an excuse, young lady? You know that a loss is a loss right?"

"It's not an excuse," replied Rose, who was now getting really irritated. "I did give it my all… but you're right… a loss is a loss."

In an hour's time, the blue-haired girl will once again be joining her friends on their daily training routine, and she knew she had to do more than the regular female-body-beauty-maintaining exercise she had been accustomed to since she started going to school, if she wanted to catch up with them…

"Good…Then, I suggest you get back to your training," said the picture of the Hound of Ulster, whose voice was once again that of a strict instructor's.

Rose wanted to complain, as Cu Chulainn continued with his rants, but chose not to, knowing that her portrait of the perverted Irish hero was right. She was definitely not in her best physical condition anymore, compared to before she attended Hogwarts, which was over five years in the past… and she needed to get it back… no, not just get it back… but surpass it… surpass her own best,,, surpass herself…

-**BREAK-**

(James, Peter, Sirius POV)

Three of the four members of the mischief managers, the Marauders, found that they could not sleep.

"Hey Moony, Wormy, Paddy, you awake?" said James Potter in a low voice.

"H-here…" squeaked Wormtail.

"What is it Prongs?" growled the voice of the dog animagus.

"Nothing… just checking…" replied the stag animagus conversationally.

"Right…"

They had been running around like crazy all morning, and it made them really exhausted (While the Marauders normally ran around like crazy, it was normally out of amusement, not out of fear, and it somehow increased the exhaustion they got from all the running around.).

Still, despite that fact they were feeling really tired, body, mind and soul, they simply could fall into slumber.

The Marauders were searching frantically for their friend Moony, worried about what could have happened to him, as he had been undoubtedly been abducted by Snivellus (the mastermind from James' perspective) and the white-haired girl (from Sirius' perfected), and they were afraid… afraid that they would lose their friend…

They were running towards the Great Hall, with the intention of informing Dumbledore, when they ran into their best friend (crashed into) on the Grand Staircase.

_Flashback_

_"Hey, guys…" said a certain werewolf._

_"MOONY" cried James, Peter and Sirius together, relieved to see that their friend was okay._

_End of Flashback_

Yes, Remus Lupin, a.k.a. Moony, the werewolf, was fine, and unharmed. However…

_Flashback_

_"What do you need it to see it for Moony?" James asked Remus, raising his eyebrows._

_"I just need to confirm something," replied the werewolf._

_End of Flashback_

Ever since he has returned, their best friend Moony had been acting strangely. It was not a pleasant thought. None of them wanted to even think about it, but the three Marauders could not help but suspect that there was something odd going on with their friend. But what made them really suspicious was the fact that their werewolf friend would not tell them anything, and suggested that they drop the issue, even going so far as to say that the Severus Snape and the silver-haired girl wasn't as bad as everyone thought!

They could not understand why, but their werewolf friend had taken an interest on what happened at the train. Reluctantly they told him all about it, the part when he had lost his consciousness and the beast took over (Sirius once again brought out his Pensieve vial so that they could get a clearer view of the events.).

After watching it, Remus merely nodded, before retiring to bed, not even bothering to explain why he wanted to see it or what it was he found out.

A lot of theories were forming in their minds. Was their friend Remus being deceived, blackmailed? Was he under a spell? The Imperius perhaps? Could it be possible that the person who was with them right now wasn't even Remus Lupin, but an impostor?

All of these theories were plausible. Snivellus knew that their friend was a werewolf, so he may be having that piece of information hanging over Remus' head…

Remus Lupin could indeed be under a spell, and it was also possible that the one with them was an impostor…. A werewolf, after all, turns into a wolf during the full moon, and this time, amazingly, Moony did not…

Still, they did cast _Finite Incantatem_ and _revealio_ (which would cancel any illusion disguise or glamour charm, as well as the Imperius curse), as well as made sure that their friend did not remain out of their line of sight (in case of it being a case of Polyjuice Potion)…

But nothing happened. The only other possible theory was that Snivellus (from James' perspective) and the Emiya girl (from Sirius' perspective), were so versed with Dark Magic that their usual means were rendered useless. Still…

Despite all their theories and suspicions, their instinct, as well as their bond, screamed at them that their theories were impossible. There was no doubt that the person who was with them was none other than their best friend Remus Lupin…

Which means that the 'holding something over him' theory was the most plausible one, as they now recalled the Evans residence incident, in which Remus, as well as Peter, Lily and her parents, Frank and Alice, were saved due to Snape's and Emiya's actions. Still…

The three Marauders, who had just been talking about the issue, now fell silent (Fortunately…er unfortunately, they did not seem to have disturbed anyone), as each one retreated to his own thoughts…

They were lacking information… They needed to have more evidence and proof before they could make a move… They would have to dig deeper into this matter...

For the Marauders, ever loyal, would do everything in their power to prevent their friend from getting hurt…

**-BREAK-**

(Remus POV)

Unknown to his friends, the werewolf in question also could not fall asleep, but the werewolf did not engage them in conversation, his bed curtains covering him from their view, as he was busy pondering on his own thoughts…

As Remus looked up at the ceiling of the Gryffindor boys' dormitory, he recalled what Ilya, the silver-haired girl, told him…

_Flashback_

_"I'm not cured?" inquired the werewolf, feeling confused._

_"If it's your lycanthrope that you are talking about, then you are correct, Remus Lupin," said the white-haired girl."You are still a werewolf."_

_End of Flashback_

Upon hearing these words, Lupin felt his heart sank. So he had not been cured. However…

_Flashback_

_"You should know, however, that your form of lycanthrope is not a disease, and therefore needs no cure…"_

_"Then how come, unless it was just a dream," said Remus, (feeling aghast that all of it could have just been an illusion, but his friends were there as witnesses, so it couldn't have been just a dream) not noticing that he was voicing out his thoughts. "How come I…"_

_"How come you did not turn into a wolf?" said the white-haired girl._

_The werewolf nodded silently._

_"It's because I killed the demon," replied the silver-haired girl._

_"Demon?"_

_"Yes, demon."_

_End of Flashback_

The silver-haired girl explained to him his supposed circumstances. According to her, the moment that he was turned into a werewolf, another personality, or perhaps a spirit, was either created or possessed him at that the same time. Even she herself did not understand how it worked. Remus however, being the intelligent person that he is, was able to pick up at least the general gist of what the silver-haired girl was saying. Even though he was supposed to still be a werewolf, he managed to confirm a number of facts:

First, his wolf personality, the dangerous personality that would harm his friends without hesitation was gone. That explained why he was no longer hearing it growl, when he could normally feel it even if it wasn't the full moon.

Second, he will no longer forcibly turn into a wolf during the full moon. However, according to Ilya, he could still utilize his wolf form if he wanted to, even outside of the full moon, and Remus guessed she must have been referring to an animagus transformation, though this time it will not be forced, and since the demonic personality no longer exists, he will have full control. However, according to the white-haired girl, if he did succeed in transforming, anyone he bites would still be turned into werewolves, as his transformation will be into 'werewolf' and not 'wolf.'

The third and (for Remus) the most important fact, however:

_Flashback_

_"Thank you," said Remus, as he was about to leave for the castle to look for his Marauder friends._

_"You don't have to thank me, Lupin," replied the white-haired girl. "It was not my intention to help you at all. I was merely worried for the safety of the other students at Hogwarts… my objective was simply to eliminate the threat to innocent lives."_

_"Even if that is the case…" began the werewolf, but the silver-haired girl cut her off._

_"If you really feel that indebted for what I did, then can I ask for a favor?"_

_"If it is something I can do," replied the werewolf._

_"Very well, then," said Ilya, and as she took a deep breath. "Promise me. Don't tell anyone about me. And by that I mean the fact that it was me who helped you, as well as the existence of a method to combat the full moon transformation. And if possible, please avoid telling anyone about the fact that you had been, as you say it, 'cured', although if you wish to tell your friends or parents then I'm fine with that."_

_"Okay, I promise... But why?" inquired the werewolf, who, despite his high level of intelligence, did not understand. She had a way to combat lycanthrope, and something like that could really help alleviate werewolves like him from suffering._

_"Because the method I use isn't foolproof. The possibility of failure is still high… and the price to pay for failure is something terrible and irreversible."_

_"What do you mean?" inquired Remus, looking alarmed. "Do you mean to say that…"_

_"Look, Lupin." the silver-haired girl cut him off. "The only reason I used it on was because you proved that you are a good person… The spell I used is not really a magic spell. It is a prayer of the church, a prayer to exorcise evil, known as the Baptismal Sacrament…"_

_End of Flashback_

_A prayer to exorcise evil, huh…_ thought Remus to himself, as he recalled his conversations with the white-haired girl, and the memory that his friends had just him a few hours back...

_Flashback_

_The white-haired girl began to chant what was undoubtedly a spell, in a chilling and frightening monotone._

**_I kill, I give life. I injure, I heal. _**

_Mmmmmrrrrrr?…..The wolf-Remus' eyes widened__**.**_

**_There are none who escape from my hands. _**

**_There are none who escape from my eyes. _**

**_May it be so that you are shattered. _**

_Mmmmmrrrrrr! The wolf-Remus started struggling to get up, despite the difficulty…_

**_I welcome the defeated, the aged. _**

**_Surrender to me, learn from me, obey me. _**

**_May you be at rest. _**

**_Do not forget the song, do not forget the prayer, do not forget me. _**

**_I relieve you of all burdens. _**

**_May it be so that there is no deception. _**

**_Retaliation unto forgiveness, betrayal onto belief, despair unto hope, _**

**_darkness unto light, death unto life. _**

**_May you rest in my hands. Let there be mark of your sins._**

_MMMMRRRRRRRRR!_

**_Eternal life is found only in death. _**

_In one last desperate bid for its life, wolf-Remus managed to somehow overcome the spell and got up, and gave out a desperate howl…_

_AWOOOOOOOO!_

**_Forgiveness is before you, and so my incarnation vows. _**

_The wolf, focusing on the source of its torment, positioned itself, then sprang, charging at the chanting white-haired girl… _

_But hit something like an invisible wall, and was thrown backwards._

_The wolf's four friends could only watch in horror, helplessly, as Remus Lupin slumped to the ground, still and unmoving…._

**_"May God have mercy of this soul" _**

_End of Flashback_

Remus had seen it. The moment he passed out, he knew that his wolf side was probably still conscious, yet he did not know what happened after that. None of the people who saw the whole thing had even bothered to tell him anything, not his Marauder friends, not Lily, not Alice. It took a bit of talking before he finally got to see what he had the right to see.

It wasn't pleasant. He saw that his wolf, or demonic side, as the white-haired girl called it, intended to harm his friends, and saw to his horror how close he came to harming his friends, though thankfully it did not occur. Still…

_Baptismal Sacrament,_ thought the werewolf to himself.

Remus Lupin had an analytic mind which enable him to assess situations swiftly and precisely. And from what he had heard and seen…

_That chant,_ thought Remus to himself.

Yes, there was no doubt it. Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, contrary to being called the 'Dark Lady,' may actually be exactly the opposite. The spell she used… no, it was not even a spell… it was a chant, a prayer, a sutra, to ward off demons and evil spirits.

And because of this Remus now partially understood why it wasn't foolproof. If the spell was really meant to destroy evil, then if it was used on someone evil, someone perhaps, like Fenrir Greyback, then it would probably end up killing the intended patient instead of healing him and just getting rid of the demon. Still…

_Flashback_

_"Remember, Remus Lupin," began the white-haired girl named Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya. "Being a werewolf makes you different. Now that you are no longer bound by the evil persona that once possessed you, the moon is no longer your enemy. You will be at your strongest when the moon is full, rather than fall ill… But whether your lycanthrope is a blessing or curse… that will be entirely up to you to decide…"_

_End of Flashback_

Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya was indeed an enigma. However, despite the many mysteries that surrounded the silver-haired girl, there was one thing that Remus Lupin was now sure of…

_She's not a bad person_, thought the werewolf to himself.

Yes, Remus owed her twice now for saving his life. The first time, she and Severus Snape saved him from getting killed by Death Eaters. The second time…

Remus Lupin was saved from his wolf side, from the demon within him, for despite the fact that the white-haired girl considered the wolf persona as a separate entity, the werewolf still considered it as something that was once a part of himself…

**-BREAK-**

(Alice POV)

"The toast is burnt… the egg is too salty…" wailed a certain black-haired girl former Gryffindor, as she munched on her toast, complaining all the while.

Alice Sera Chaucer was not in a good mood. Ever since they started schooling at Hogwarts for the fall Semester (5th year for Ilya and Rose, 6th year for Severus and Alice), Alice had been used to having Ilya's cooking at least once a day(except for the first day of their return to Hogwarts), everyday for breakfast at least (and sometimes even lunch and dinner) without fail (The silver-haired girl managed to befriend the Hogwarts House Elves, who gives her the ingredients she needs.), and was therefore shocked to find that she had not prepared any, undoubtedly too busy to do so.

"Could you please quit your whining, Alice? You're causing a scene, you know?" said a raven-haired young man who was sitting beside Ilya, wearing a scowl on her face.

"Hmmmp! Talk all you want, Severus, I know you feel exactly the same way I do," replied Alice to the raven-haired former Slytherin, who, to the black-haired female's mild surprise, merely sighed instead of attempting a retort, proof that he did in fact share the same sentiment.

"Calm yourself, Alice," said the white-haired girl, whose seated immediately to the black-haired girl's right. "I'll be cooking some burger and yakisoba for lunch, so don't worry."

"You promise?"

"Promise…"

"YAY!" said the black-haired girl, and without warning, Alice wrapped her arms around Ilya, and started rubbing her face on her cheek.

"Waaa?!" said the white-haired girl, taken by surprise.

"HEY!" shouted Severus and Rose together, who, after getting frozen for moment, had now regained their senses, and were trying to extricate Ilya from her clutches…

_"STUPEFY!"_ shouted a male voice, as a jet of red light was sent, with careful aim, at the white-haired girl.

"HEY! WHO DID THAT?!" Alice heard Severus say loudly, understandably furious at what happened.

Fortunately, all four of them, especially Ilya, since she was the target of the spell, managed to jump away from the table just in time, before the spell hit the chair where Ilya was sitting, knocking it a few feet from where it was stationed...

_That voice,_ thought the black-haired girl to herself, as Alice recognized it. It could only belong to one person.

"Now, that was just plain rude," the black-haired girl heard Ilya say, the normal cheeriness not present, her voice filled with cold displeasure. "Couldn't you at least have let us finish our meal first?"

But the person the silver-haired was talking to did not seem to be listening to a word she said, as it spoke in tone which is full of restrained, yet unconcealed rage.

"You're the Dark Lady, aren't you?" growled the voice, and Alice was sure now as to who it belonged to.

"Frank," said Alice in a low voice, but loud enough for everyone nearby to hear…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Whew... It was really hard for me to focus on this Chapter. The reason?

Well, aside from work, to be honest, I had a sudden inspiration yesterday, after listening in a loop to the music of Yuki Kaijura, Fate Zero Epic OST The Battle is to the Strong while I was doing my physical exercise. And yeah, it's also a Harry Potter fic. But this time Harry is taken from the Dursleys and raised and adopted by well... the main male and female protagonists of my current fic (That's right, Ilya and Severus.). I actually already have a couple of chapters planned out (but still only in my mind at the moment) for it, and it will serve as a sequel to this fanfic. But enough about that... If I manage to get my thoughts together right I'll be posting it later on.

Anyway, for now... like always... I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	39. CHAPTER 37

**CHAPTER 37: MOVING FORWARD**

(Frank POV)

Frank Longbottom is the son of Michael and Augusta Longbottom, both coming from a long line of pureblood wizards. He was learned in the various ways of formality, dealing with other people, all of which were taught by his parents, though mostly by his mother. He was rather fortunate, for Augusta, upon his birth, quit her job as an Auror to become a full-time housewife. The Longbottoms never hired a maid, and Frank's mother was the one who took care of their home. It would not be an exaggeration to say that everything was clean, orderly and overall very noble-looking. After all, his mother was somewhat a bit of a perfectionist (perhaps much of a perfectionist.).

Frank was also well-versed with the different kinds of magic, and he found that he was actually quite good at Transfiguration. For some reason, he would always learn quickly, a lot faster than his mother, who happened to be an ex-Auror, serving as his tutor, anticipated. And this made Augusta pleased and proud of her son.

His father, too, was kind and caring, even though he rarely stayed at home. There were even times when Michael would come home at night only two or three times a week, depending on the amount of work that was being given to the Dark Wizard Catchers.

Yes, Frank Longbottom had a lot of potential, and to add to this fact, he was also a humble person. When he entered Hogwarts, he did his best in every subject (though he always limited himself, trying not to overexert himself, as his mother Augusta had told him to do his best, but warned him not to do it to the point when it would affect his health, as his mother knew that he was rather vulnerable to common diseases.), but never bragged whenever he got the top marks.

He is in the upper tier of his batch, along with the Marauders (except perhaps Peter, who was barely above average and even abysmal at Potions), who he became friends with, and he particularly enjoyed the company of Remus Lupin, who was the most quiet member of the group.

The round-faced boy, Frank, was normally a passive type of person. He was rarely over-eccentric, and the only person who ever managed to get him worked up was his girlfriend Alice.

Alice Sera Chaucer, a kind and wonderful person. She was, as far as Frank could tell, perfect, perfect, in every single way. She was kind, loving, friendly, beautiful. She was a shy person, and only ever talked when it was necessary. It would not be an exaggeration to say the Frank almost viewed Alice like a goddess, a symbol of beauty and perfection, and he liked her for it.

His Alice, as far as Frank was concerned, was indeed someone that should be looked up to by every single female on earth. She was, without a doubt, the perfect role model for every other woman on the planet, and people should follow her example…

Whatever Alice did, she did so magnificently. Frank could not help but watch in satisfaction, whenever they had their meals, as his girlfriend, would elegantly sip on her coffee and bite on her piece of toast…

"The toast is burnt… the egg is too salty…" wailed a familiar, yet unfamiliar, female voice, who was munching grudgingly on a slightly burnt piece of slice bread…

_What in the name of Merlin? _thought Frank.

…which is why the round-faced boy, who arrived at Hogwarts late Sunday evening via Floo Network, could not believe the sight that greeted his eyes…

Frank stood frozen, shocked, as he saw his girlfriend, Alice, who was behaving shamelessly, rubbing her cheeks on the cheeks of a girl with silver-hair…

Frank Longbottom was normally a passive person. He was shy and timid, and was someone who avoided trouble as much as possible, and always kept his cool, except when it concerned a certain black-haired female… just like the current situation…

When the round-faced boy arrived the night before, everyone was already slumbering, and, being very tired himself, fell asleep the moment he fell on his bed...

Frank woke up rather early that Monday morning, and the first thing he did was wait in the Gryffindor Common Room for Alice. However…

_Flashback_

_"WHAT?! SHE'S IN RAVENCLAW NOW?!" shouted Frank, who rarely raised his voice._

_"Shhhhh… stop shouting… you're going to wake the entire House!" hissed a girl named Bridget, who actually put her hands between her ears._

_"But how?"_

_"The Sorting Hat said it made a mistake and transferred her to Ravenclaw."_

_"What? Is that even possible?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"How did…"_

_"I don't know!" _

_Frank was about to open his mouth to speak, but the female Gryffindor cut him off, looking irritated…_

_"Look, if you want to know what happened, I suggest you ask your girlfriend about it…"_

_End of Flashback_

It was shocking, absolutely and utterly shocking. The worst part however…

"Was Chaucer really like that?" inquired a Gryffindor female voice, who was sitting together with four other females…

"No, I don't think so," replied another female dressed in the Lion's standard uniform. Then she lowered her voice. "She used to be really shy actually. I guess that's what happens when you hang around Dark Wizards too much… especially the Dark Lady herself…"

"We should just consider ourselves lucky that we don't take the same classes as the Ravenclaws… "

"It's worrying me, though. I mean, she looks just like one of our seniors…"

"Come to think of it, except for the silver hair, she looks just like Evans… makes you wonder if they are related…"

"Could Snape be responsible for that? I mean he did… after all…"

"…Could the girl be some sort of monster? A shape shifter perhaps…?"

"She could probably control your mind or brainwash you… I mean, just look at what happened to Alice Chaucer…"

"The Imperius Curse?"

"Probably… probably worse…"

"She's probably already done the same to all the Ravenclaws… I mean, just look at them…"

The round-faced boy could not take it anymore…

He never knew. He never realized something was wrong, In truth, the real reason why he did not ride the Hogwarts Express on August 31st was actually because he was in France, having a vacation with his parents. It was a very important family reunion, and since his parent wanted him to come (being an only child after, all), he decided to do so. The event was significant, and his parents made sure that the Hogwarts Headmaster was informed, who was an understanding person and allowed it...

Frank actually felt bad about having to lie to Alice about having a severe cold, but he thought that would be make him look cool, and martyr-like, compared to telling her that he was going to extend his relaxation time…

The round-faced young man regretted his decision of going to France. Had he gone on board the Hogwarts Express as planned, perhaps none of it would have happened…

_It's her… it's her fault…_ thought Frank, who was seething, completely forgetting about everything else for the moment, completely forgetting about the fact that the silver-haired girl was the one who saved his life back at the Evans household… completely forgetting the fact that they were in the Great Hall, that there were students and teachers present… completely forgetting that Alice was also there…

The round-faced young man, unable to think completely straight, finding the bits of information he received too difficult to digest, did the first thing that came to his considerably destabilized mind…

_"STUPEFY!"_ shouted Frank, sending the Stunner towards the silver-haired girl…

**-BREAK-**

(Alice POV)

_Flashback_

_"Now, that was just plain rude," the black-haired girl heard Ilya say, the normal cheeriness not present, her voice filled with cold displeasure. "Couldn't you at least have let us finish our meal first?"_

_"You're the Dark Lady, aren't you?" growled the voice, and Alice was sure now as to who it belonged to._

_"Frank," said Alice in a low voice, but loud enough for everyone nearby to hear…_

_End of Flashback_

At first, the black-haired girl thought that she was not having a good day. Now she knew just how wrong she was…

For it had now taken an even worse turn…

"Someone call a teacher," Alice heard a third year Ravenclaw student saying. Unfortunately, for some reason, none of the teachers were around yet… _What impeccable timing_…

"Alice?" said her round-faced Gryffindor boyfriend, whose voice had now mellowed down to its usual friendly tone, though the former Gryffindor female noticed that he still had not lowered his wand, and was still pointing it at Ilya…

_Great… just great…_ thought the black-haired female to herself.

She knew it. Alice knew she would have to face it eventually. The black-haired female former Gryffindor sixth year knew it. She knew that she would have to face her boyfriend eventually, to tell him what had happened…

In truth, Alice had actually been trying to think of a way to explain things to Frank. She had actually contemplated on sending a letter to him, but no matter how she tried, she could not find a way to do so, and decided to just send him a simple get-well note everyday…

"ALICE!" shouted Frank, and he started running towards the black-haired girl… but after taking two sprinting steps he froze.

A moment of silence passed, as the black-haired former Gryffindor realized the reason why Frank stopped dead on his tracks.

"Ilya?" Alice heard Severus and Rose asked inquiringly, noticing that everyone in the Great Hall was also tense, as a chilling hostile intent was now emanating from the silver-haired girl…

The black-haired female Ravenclaw was worried…very worried, for it was the first time that she had seen her silver-haired friend like this. The nearest she had felt such enmity coming from her was when they first met, when Ilya and Severus battled against the Death Eaters and rescued them at the Evans' residence, and even then the hostile intent was felt for only a fleeting moment, for Ilya was undoubtedly an expert at hiding and controlling her emotions. Even when she was standing by Ilya's side, when they briefly faced Lord Voldemort during the Hogwarts Express incident, Alice could not actually feel any hostile intent from her back then, as her friend was hiding her thoughts and emotions to be able to put her plan against the Dark Lord into action…

This time, however…

Ilya was continuously releasing her hostile intent, and it was not letting up. Some of the students (except Ravenclaws) were now discreetly starting to leave the Great Hall, too frightened to speak, wanting only to get away from the source of the menacing aura that was causing their uneasiness...

Yet Alice knew… there was no doubt as to who was the target of the hostile intent…

"Ilya, please…" began Alice to her silver-haired friend, looking straight at her emerald-green eyes, which were currently devoid of warmth, cold as ice…

"PROFESSOR! THEY'RE OVER HERE!" shouted a female voice suddenly…

Distracted, Alice, as well as the other people in the Great Hall, turned to direction of the voice…

**-BREAK-**

(Alice POV)

Two people were walking briskly… a blonde girl with pigtails who was wearing the standard black robe with the red and gold theme of the Gryffindor House…and…

The two stopped in front them…

Rose moved in front of the group to talk with the teacher, but the teacher spoke before the blue-haired girl could say a word, but addressed someone else…

"Please explain why you did this…" began the old man with silver hair, his gaze focused on Alice's boyfriend.

"But sir," ranted Frank furiously. "It wasn't my fault. It was…"

"Mr. Longbottom, I cannot begin to express how disappointed I am with you…"

There was no benign smile upon the Headmaster's face, no twinkle in the eyes behind the spectacles, as the man who seemed to have the natural gift of authority reprimanded the round-faced Gryffindor for his actions.

"…Ms. Lorena, please escort Mr. Longbottom to your Head of House… "

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore," replied the female Gryffindor blonde, who looked disappointed (_She probably thought we were the ones in trouble,_ thought Alice to herself.)as she and Frank silently headed off in the direction of the stairs, though not without the round-faced boy taking one last glance at Alice before leaving the Great Hall…

"Frank," whispered the black-haired former Gryffindor to herself, as the Headmaster started heading for the teacher's table, telling everyone to forget about what happened and go back to eating…

It was hard for her to control the tears that had unconsciously formed in her eyes after the brief exchange. Silence can sometimes speak louder than words. Alice had known the round-faced boy well enough to guess what he was thinking. The look that her boyfriend gave her was not that of someone who was concerned…

It was the same look that Frank stared with whenever he was looking at the Slytherins. He was staring at Alice with distaste and disgust…

It was unspoken but the message the clear.

_He hates me now… Frank hates me now,_ thought Alice bitterly.

**-BREAK-**

(Alice POV)

There was no doubt about it. It was a painful fact to accept, but there was no other explanation…

The one that Frank may have liked and was in love with was not Alice… he had only been in love with her mask, the fake persona which Alice created to be accepted by others. If Frank was really in love with Alice, he would have accepted her true self… accepted the fact that she wasn't exactly what he thought she was like… accepted her even if she was not up to his standards… accepted her for who she truly was… and sadly, it doesn't seem to be the case.

"Alice," inquired Ilya, as the black-haired Gryffindor noticed that the enmity was no longer present, a worried and apologetic expression on her face, the warmth back in her emerald green eyes. "I'm really s..."

"ILYA!" shouted Alice, as she gave the silver-haired girl a hug attack, similar to the one which a first year named Evelyn always did when she was around, feigning cheerfulness in her voice, not noticing that the sob was still discernable, as she forced back her tears, though she failed to stop a couple from streaming down her face. "Don't forget your promise! Burger and… what is yakisoba anyway?"

"They're… uh…Japanese… fried noodles," replied the white-haired girl, and the black-haired girl let go of her embrace, noticing that her friend seemed to be choking. "I'm not sure if you'll like it though…"

"Of course I will," replied Alice, as a mischievous formed on her face. "The dishes you cook are delicious… If I were a guy I'd probably fall in love with you Ilya… Severus doesn't know just how lucky he is… "

"He's probably thankful for your 'Dark Lady' reputation," added the blue-haired girl named Rose, a smirk also forming on her face. "At least he doesn't have to worry about other boys chasing after your skirt…"

"Hey!" said the raven-haired young man irritably. "Would please stop talking as if I'm not here?"

"Whether or not I'm popular with the boys is of no relevance," said the silver-haired girl sincerely, as she latched herself onto one of her boyfriend's arms. "Sev will always be the only guy for me."

"Whaaa…"

Alice could not help but smile, at the stunned look on the raven-haired young man's face, turning red as a tomato, at the words directed at him by Ilya.

"Well, if he is the only guy for you," began Alice, the mischievous smile on her face widening. "What about girls?"

"Huh?" said Ilya and Severus together, undoubtedly surprised.

"Consider yourself lucky that Ilya is devoted to you, Severus Snape," said Rose, who seemed to be playing around, yet Alice noticed that the blue-haired girl seemed half-serious. "But if I ever find out that you are just toying with her I will take her away from you and make her mine."

"W-what-did you say?" inquired Severus, wearing a dumbfounded expression on his face. "You can't be serious?!"

"I am serious," replied the blue-haired girl simply, but with weight on her tone.

"But you're a girl!"

"That doesn't matter!"

The raven-haired young man had a dumbstruck look on his face, before giving the blue-haired girl a look which is similar to one which a guy gives his rival suitors, for the hand of a girl, or the look of a jealous husband threatened by another guy's advances on his wife.

"That will never happen though," said the silver-haired girl. "Sev will never betray me. He will never leave me for another… right Sev?" The silver-haired girl was now looking at her boyfriend, emerald eyes on black ones.

"Of course," replied the raven-haired boy honestly, without hesitation, smiling gently at Ilya. "I swear that I will never allow you to suffer. As long as I'm alive, I promise that you will never be alone."

"Thank you," replied the silver-haired surprisingly meekly.

Silence reigned for a few seconds.

"But if ever such a time comes," said Rose. "You know that I'm always here for you, Ilya."

"You're talking as if you want me dead, Ms. Prefect!" said Severus with a scowl.

"It's not like that, Severus." replied the blue-haired girl apologetically. "I mean if ever the two of you have a falling o…"

"That will never happen!" the raven-haired young man almost shouted, and it was obvious that he had been giving a huge effort to keep the volume of his voice in check.

_They haven't noticed, have they?! Or maybe they're just ignoring them?! _thought Alice to herself, feeling amused, as her companions did not seem to realize that many students, mostly their fellow Ravenclaws who were all within earshot, were staring at them, witnessing their little scene. _Well, then I guess I better…_

"Severus is right, Rose," began the black-haired female Ravenclaw to her blue-haired female friend. "She will never be yours..."

The raven-haired young man was nodding in agreement…

"… because Ilya will belong to ME!"

"WHAT?" shouted Rose and Severus together, while the silver-haired girl started giggling, the blue-haired girl and the raven-haired young man now both looking dumbstruck, not noticing that their some of their fellow Ravenclaws were wearing the same expression on their face, while there were some girls and boys who were giggling and snickering.

Yes, it was painful. The fact that many of her former acquaintances and close friends no longer liked. First Lily… now Frank… Alice knew that there were people who she used to be in good terms with now shunned her, but…

**-BREAK-**

(Alice POV)

"Detention...all four of you… AND TWENTY POINTS FROM RAVENCLAW!" shouted an upset-looking Professor McGonagall, who, unfortunately, passed by, stopping to witness the entire event. "FIRST LONGBOTTOM AND NOW THIS?! HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT SUCH PROFANITIES SO EARLY IN THE MORNING!"

"You're just jealous since you don't have a love life," muttered Alice, as the Deputy Mistress now headed for the teacher's table, but then the Head of Gryffindor House suddenly stopped, then turned around…

"Would you mind repeating what you just said, Ms. Chaucer?" said Professor McGonagall in a low and calm voice, although the vein twitching on her forehead was a huge giveaway.

_Whoops…_ thought the black-haired girl to herself.

"To think that you used to belong to my House…" began the presumably old-maid Professor, but another female voice cut her off.

"It wasn't her Professor," said Rose, the model student, Ravenclaw Prefect, seriously. "It was me."

"Ms. Garnet?"

"No it wasn't her, it was me…" said Ilya cheerfully.

"Ms. Emiya?!"

"No, it wasn't them, Professor, it was definitely me," said Severus, his voice sounding convincingly blunt.

_3…_

counted Alice in her thought as the Deputy Headmistress began taking in air…

_2…_

the Transfiguration Professor's lungs were now filled to the brink of their capacity...

_1…_

_Here it comes,_ thought Alice.

"MR. SNAPE! DID YOU ACTUALLY THINK I WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE A FEMALE VOICE WHEN I HEARD ONE?!" shrieked the Deputy Headmistress. "WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR, A FOOL?! ANOTHER TWENTY POINTS FROM RAVENCLAW! "

_Oh, wow,_ thought the black-haired former Gryffindor to herself, finding it hard to keep a straight face, and, as Alice noticed, the same could be said about her three closest friends, as well as the students who were within earshot.

"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO YOUR TEACHER LIKE THAT! HOW DARE YOU TRESPASS ON MY PERSONAL LIFE! I WILL BE HAVING A TALK WITH YOUR HEAD OF HOUSE ABOUT THIS, MARK MY WORD!"

Fortunately for them, and unfortunately for the Gryffindor Head of House, the Ravenclaw Head, Filius Flitwick, was a cheerful and rather carefree person. They had nothing to worry about…

"So if we were trespassing in your personal life, Professor McGonagall… no offense meant of course, but based from your reaction," began the white-haired girl in a mock inquiring tone, who wasn't shouting, but made her voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Does that mean that it's true… that you really are an old maid?"

At Ilya's words, gasps suddenly echoed throughout the Great Hall, every single person now had their eyes on them in interest…

Alice could not help but watch amusedly, as the Head of the House of Lions, who was normally proud and haughty, quietly left the Hall, without taking breakfast, lost for words, struggling to keep the way she strode graceful…

"We're really sorry," said the white-haired girl sincerely, as she approached the other Ravenclaws, who were looking stunned, and bowed her head. "Our actions made us lose our lead in the House Cup…"

Their Housemates stood up, almost at the same time, with a serious look on their faces.

Instead of complaints and insults, however... the Ravenclaw table burst into applause and laughter, in a standing ovation…

"THAT WAS AWESOME!"

"I always knew she was an old maid!"

"UNREAL!"

"EVEN THE MARAUDERS WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO PULL OFF SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"

"To think the day came that we got to see McGonagall act like that!"

Their fellow Ravenclaws were now gathering around them, some even shaking their hands, congratulating them on what they, as intellectuals, saw as a 'job well done.'

Alice could not help but smirk inwardly at the turn of events…

It may be true that Alice had lost the friendships, and apparently the respect of some of her old acquaintances, but then again… perhaps they never really were her friends. After all, true friends will accept you for who you truly are.

And now she had such people around her. The loss of her old friends, especially the loss of her relationship with Frank, words no longer need be said, still hurt…

But with the help of Ilya, Rose, Severus, and all her new companions… Alice knew… that she can continue moving forward with a smile…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Another chapter out!

I must admit I am rather tempted to start on the sequel, but I opted not to, since I might not be able to give this one enough attention if I did so. I actually am itching to get to work on it, but to be honest my current fic is not even halfway finished if I were to follow my original plan. But enough about that... Time to get back to my piling school and office work...

Yeah another thing. During Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter Books, Severus Snape was the most hated teacher, for the Head of Slytherin favored students of his own House while unfairly treated those of the others. But when Severus Snape was still a student, who was the most unpopular teacher at Hogwarts? Well, I just picked McGonagall to take that role. After all, Slughorn, the current Slytherin Head of House at the time, was more like a Hufflepuff than he was a Slytherin, because of his cheerful demeanor and little Slug Club (even though he was in Slytherin during his student days).

So, yeah, most unpopular teacher, definitely the strict Minerva...But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this fic.

Later then, people...


	40. CHAPTER 38

**CHAPTER 38: PEACEFUL AFTERNOON**

(Ilya POV)

"How do you do it Ilya?" inquired a fifth year Ravenclaw female named Jane, as they walked out of the Transfiguration classroom.

"What do you mean?" replied the white-haired girl, with her own question. "If you want to use the Replication Curse it is really easy, you know. Would you like me to teach you?"

"No, it's not that…" said Jane, who flushed slightly, having been part of the ¾ of the class who were unable to use the spell. "I mean… just this morning, you told everyone in the Great Hall that McGonagall was a loveless old hag…so I thought…"

_Flashback_

_"Geminio."_

_"Well done, Ms. Emiya, you are once again the first one to cast the spell properly," said the voice of the Transfiguration Professor, Minerva McGonagall, in her normally stern voice, though with an unconcealed note of being pleased, as she scrutinized the duplicate of the wine glass. "Ten points to Ravenclaw..."_

_"Thank you Professor," replied the silver-haired girl cordially, lowering her wand, as Professor McGonagall now took both wine glasses, the original and the duplicate, from the female student's desk, and brought it up front for everyone to see._

_End of Flashback_

"So you thought she would try and get back at us for what we've done?" inquired the silver-haired girl.

The girl named Jane nodded.

The silver-haired girl contemplated in her thoughts for a bit. She could not help but feel her respect for the Deputy Headmistress increase. After the little mind game they played with the Transfiguration Teacher at breakfast, it would not have been surprising if she started treating them harshly and with partiality, yet it wasn't the case. Despite the negative emotion that the silver-haired girl could sense coming from Professor McGonagall, the teacher had continued to treat her fairly and justly in the classroom, although this may also be due to the fact that said teacher was rumored to have a soft spot for students who were obedient, serious, and performing well in her classes, traits which applied to Ilya, who made it a point to behave herself inside the classroom (_For now, at least._).

"Ilya did no such thing," Rose cut in, as the blue-haired girl walked beside the silver-haired girl. "She merely asked Professor McGonagall on whether or not it was true, and was left unanswered. In case you've forgotten, Alice was the one who started it, telling McGonagall that she didn't have a love life."

"Talking behind my back now, are we?" mused a familiar female voice, as two hands wrapped itself, one each, on the silver-haired girl and the blue-haired, as they continued walking in the direction of the Great Hall, while Jane bade them goodbye as she went off in the direction of the Transfiguration Courtyard.

"Not really," replied the blue-haired Ravenclaw Prefect nonchalantly. "Since you were right behind us, we were technically talking in front of your back, not behind it."

"Still, from the way McGonagall was acting, it was pretty obvious," said the black-haired girl, as she removed one of her arms from Rose, and wrapped both of them around the silver-haired girl.

"Would you mind letting go of Ilya, Alice?" spoke a raven-haired young man, with a note of irritation in his voice.

"Oh, are you worried I might take your Ilya away?" teased the black-haired former Gryffindor, making the raven-haired young man scowl. "Fine… then I'm taking Rose instead."

To Ilya's amusement, Alice suddenly withdrew from her embrace and then latched herself onto the blue-haired girl instead.

"Whaaa…what're you doing… g-g-g…GET OFF ME!" cried Rose, now red on the face, as the black-haired female was now rubbing her face against her chest, the blue-haired girl struggling to break free…

"So anyway, Sev," began Ilya, as her two female friends continued squabbling. "What are you and Alice doing here? If I remember correctly, according to your schedule, you have Defense Against the Dark Arts around this time?"

"Cancelled," replied the young man, the frown on his face not disappearing. "Professor Flitwick just informed us about it."

_Hmmm… now that's odd,_ thought the white-haired girl, as her boyfriend continued to discuss about how it was likely that the current D.A.D.A, whoever it was, could have gotten cold feet and decided not to teach anymore, seeing as for the past few years, no teacher of said subject lasted more than one year teaching, most of whom died, through various circumstances, which include getting killed by Death Eaters, old age, or simply rotten luck via freak accident(Which included slipping on a slippery floor and breaking one's back, definitely a freak accident for any wizard.), while a couple of fortunate ones decided to resign for fear of suffering the same fate as the others. There is no rational explanation for it though, magical or not. _Again it's just a case of most unfortunate inci…_

But then, speaking of unfortunate incidents, the white-haired girl froze.

_The Root be damned, _thought Ilya, as a cheerful-looking large bellied teacher was walking down the Grand Staircase, towards their direction.

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"Sev," whispered Ilya urgently. "Please cast a Disillusionment Charm on me." While she was already sufficiently able and knowledgeable when it comes to casting many of the spells of this world, this was one of the Charms she has yet to learn to do properly (While she can actually cast the spell, her boyfriend's variation actually provided far better concealment, already beyond the simple chameleon-like state.).

"What? But wh…OW!" asked the boy, apparently confused, but the white-haired girl gave him a painful nudge with her elbow, and his wincing caught the attention of Rose and Alice, who stopped their little quarrel, having been distracted.

"Just do it, hurry!" hissed Ilya, as a certain person was now walking down the Grand Staircase.

"Alright…alright," said Sev, as he waved his wand and cast the requested spell, just as a certain cheerful teacher caught up with them.

"Good afternoon Professor Slughorn," said Sev, Rose, and Alice together, as a stout, unSlytherinely jolly Head of the House of Serpents stopped in front of them, panting heavily.

"Good afternoon to you too," replied the Potions Masters, who was still panting, but was looking at them intently. "Do you people, by any chance, happen to know where Ms. Emiya went? I think I just saw her with you a few moments ago?"

Ilya was not pleased. Ever since she has shown off a bit of her skill when it comes to making potions, having successfully concocted the Draught of Peace, faster than her classmates, as well as conducted herself and her manners accordingly like a good and obedient student, the Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn, who was originally nervous and fidgety around the silver-haired girl (So unlike a Slytherin.), was now looking at said girl as if he had just found another nice addition to his collection, and was using every end of class as an opportunity to try and recruit Ilya to his little Slug Club.

"No sir," said the three students in chorus, sheepishly.

"Oh, all right then," sighed Professor Slughorn, sounding disappointed. "Well, if you do see her, please tell her to come to my office when she has some time to spare."

"Yes, Professor," said the three once again in unison, with impassive faces, as the teacher headed off for the dungeons…

"You know, it would be better if you just agreed to join his club, Ilya," said Rose, as the raven-haired young man removed the spell he cast on the silver-haired girl. "Alice, Severus and myself are also members, after all."

"No, thank you," said the white-haired girl, with a disgusted look on her face. "There's no way I'm joining a club that is run by a D.O.M…"

"D.O.M?" inquired Sev, but the black-haired former Gryffindor and the blue-haired Prefect, who seemed to understand what it meant, snorted.

"What do you mean Slughorn's a D.O.M?" inquired Alice, who seemed had a curious expression on her face, unconvinced, while the blue-haired girl and raven-haired young man look puzzled. "Look, I know Slughorn's the Head of Slytherin and all, but as you said yourself, being a Slytherin doesn't make a person evil. When it comes right down to it, he's actually quite a nice teacher, nowhere near as strict as McGonagall. He's…"

"Let me ask you a question," the white-haired girl cut off her friend. "Whenever he attends classes, Professor Slughorn always has two cauldrons on his table, am I right?"

The black-haired female nodded. Ilya looked towards the blue-haired girl, and at her boyfriend, who also gave the same response as Alice.

The silver-haired girl continued her inquiry.

"Does he use both cauldrons for his Potions lectures?" she asked.

"No." replied Sev.

"Then, what does he use the other cauldron for?"

"As a container for our submitted essays," said Rose automatically.

"Oh?" voiced Ilya inquiringly. "But if I remember correctly, he has been occasionally throwing some tissue paper into that cauldron as well."

"Ilya, what exactly are you implying?" inquired Alice, although from the expression on her face, the silver-haired girl could tell that she seemed to be starting to put two and two together.

"And I think you also noticed," began Ilya, with a dark look on her face. "That the Potion Master's desk is different from our other teachers'. You may find this fact to have no significance, but I have."

A long moment of silence passed. Then…

"You cannot see the entire lower portion of the person sitting behind it," said Rose quietly, a look of shock and realization on her face, before putting her hand over her mouth, in obvious disgust.

"But what does that mean?" inquired Ilya's boyfriend, who still looked confused. "And what does D.O.M. stand for, anyway?"

It was not pleasant, but she knew that Sev had a right to know exactly what they were talking about.

_If rhetorics won't work, then I'll just tell him directly, _sighed Ilya. She preferred implying things to avoid saying it literally, but as her boyfriend was unable to comprehend...

"Ugh… I'm never attending any of those meetings again..." moped Alice, as the blue-haired girl shared the same horrified and disgusted look she was wearing. "That particular cauldron… last time it was used as the pumpkin juice container for the Slug Club's party…"

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

At first he was confused. He did not know what his girlfriend and their other two companions meant. He was curious. He needed to know. Severus asked for enlightenment, and was thus enlightened…

"That bastard…" muttered Severus between gritted teeth, finding it difficult, despite all his training in controlling his emotions, to control his fury.

Which is why it took a while for the raven-haired young man to ease his rage. Yes, Horace Slughorn, overall, was not such a bad teacher, and from Severus Snape's perspective, even if he had not been the Head of Slytherin, he was his favorite teacher. He was cheerful, a bit goofy, rather over eccentric, and was fond of students who excelled at Potions. Indeed, his little Slug Club was actually exclusive for those who were good at Potions (which, unfortunately, presently included three out of four of the Marauders, as well as…_Lily_…). Now, however…

The raven-haired young man's view of said Professor has completely changed, and with good reason. Severus Snape's brain was actually currently processing a number of different simulations for the best way to end the life of the D.O.M, Horace Slughorn, slowly and painfully (He now knew what those three letters stand for.).

If Ilya hadn't held him in a tight grip at the time, Severus was sure that he would have rushed down to the dungeons and shoved the most toxic substance in his arsenal down the large-bellied man's throat.

"Shouldn't we at least try and report this… to Dumbledore perhaps?" said Rose, who was wearing a displeased expression on her face, trying to be rational.

"No," said Ilya firmly. "We would just be wasting our time."

"But," began Severus in an almost snarl, his rage hardly kept under controlled.

"Look, Sev," began Ilya. "Even if we tried and report what Slughorn's doing it will get us nowhere. It was simply in his imagination. Technically, he hasn't done anything wrong."

"And you think that wasn't wrong, fantasizing about his students?" scowled Severus, as his temper rose again.

"By students, you mean 'Ilya', right Severus?" inquired a black-haired girl suddenly, trying to sound innocent.

"Even just thinking of those things is already a grave offense, especially for a teacher!" snarled Severus Snape, trying to get his point across, which, from his angle, he thought should be obvious.

"Then, I suppose we should also report you," Rose joined in.

"And what do you mean by that, Rose?"

"Well for starters," said Alice, with a malicious smirk. "You're probably also thinking of the same kind of things Professor Slughorn was thinking about, am I right?"

Severus had had enough.

_How dare they accuse of me of being like that D.O.M!_ thought the raven-haired young man furiously, and has begun roaring out in retort when…

"I'M NOTHING LIKE SL…MMMM?!" Severus found his voice funnel blocked, as a soft pair of lips locked on his own…

"Feeling better?" inquired the silver-haired girl, as she withdrew from her attack.

Severus nodded sheepishly, blushing, completely forgetting about the rage he was feeling just a few seconds back, not even minding the teasing comments and look of annoyance that he was being given by Alice and Rose. He was at peace with himself…

_What would I do without you?_ thought Severus, thankful that he had someone by his side to keep him in check whenever he got out of line, and the fact that that someone was the one he loved made it even… much, much better…

"Like I said," began Ilya, who was also red in the face. "Technically, Slughorn has not done anything wrong. In fact, you should actually pity him. All he can do is fantasize and imagine about whatever it is he is fantasizing and imagining about, for he will never be able to have the real thing." And before Severus could utter a word of response, the white-haired girl locked lips with him once again.

The raven-haired young man knew that the black-haired girl and the blue-haired Prefect were watching, but being in the bliss he was in at that moment, he couldn't care any less…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"So, where exactly are we going?" inquired Alice. After taking a quick detour through the Great Hall for some snacks, the group of four people was once again on the move.

"Ilya?" said the raven-haired young man inquiringly.

His silver-haired girlfriend, however, merely smiled instead of answering, which Severus understood as an implied 'you'll see when we get there.'

Knowing there was no point asking if he was just going to find out anyway, the raven-haired young man, along with Rose and Alice, followed Ilya, who skipping and humming to herself as they went…

Finally, after walking for a little while, they were finally in front of a brick door (which was pretending to be a wall), on the fourth floor.

_Wait… this is… don't tell me…_ thought Severus, as he realized exactly where they were headed to.

"We're nearly there," declared Ilya.

"I never knew there was a hidden passage and corridor around these parts," commented a blue-haired girl, as she inspected the surroundings.

Severus could not agree more, for even he only managed to learn of it because of Ilya. In all his years at Hogwarts, he had never noticed it. But then again, with the countless secret passages, as well as the fact that everything in Hogwarts seemed to be moving, it would only be normal to spend seven years at the school without knowing about its every nook and cranny…

_Hmmm?! _Severus felt a spurt of energy, noticing that Ilya placed more energy into her magic circuits than the usual constant amount.

"Sev," whispered Ilya to the raven-haired young man's left ear, as she hastened their pace slightly, to get out of earshot of Alice and Rose, who were following behind them. "I plan on telling them about it. Will it be okay with you?"

"About what?" inquired the raven-haired boy.

"You know what I mean..."

"Of course," replied Severus automatically, knowing instinctively that Ilya was probably talking about something magecraft-related, as she had asked him this about this issue a few times already, and this time, she seemed to have finally decided to act upon it.

"Do you think it will be okay?" whispered his silver-haired girlfriend, her voice with a hint of nervousness in it.

Severus raised his eyebrows, seeing the hesitant expression on Ilya's face…

Ever since they started hanging out with Alice and Rose, he had predicted that things could probably eventually come to this. He had known, from the start, that Ilya was a secretive individual. Even up to this moment, he knew that there were still a lot of things that his girlfriend was not telling him. Still…

He could also tell that the silver-haired girl did not particularly like hiding things from her friends. She can be painfully honest at times, and only ever concealed information which she found too crucial or essential, or else when it is not necessary to talk about it. And also…

_It's her choice,_ thought the raven-haired young man to himself. In the past he would have reacted differently, but that was the old him, not his current self.

Yes, it was up to her as to who she wants to share her secrets with, and Severus Snape has accepted this fact, although he was really happy that Ilya had opted to consult him first. In their time together, both of them have developed a mutual trust for each other, and therefore, when one of them was unsure with what to do, they would turn to the other for advice.

The silver-haired girl seemed rather nervous about revealing this particular aspect, and Severus knew why. While she does not show it openly, Severus was sure that Ilya was afraid of the possibility that their two other companions might not react positively upon finding out more about them…

"It will be fine, Ilya, don't worry," said Severus, as he stroke the silver-haired girl's hair.

When Ilya first asked him on the issue of telling Alice and Rose about magecraft, it actually took a while for Severus to respond, contemplating on stating that he was against it, with good reason, for he was also unsure of how things would turn out.

However, in the past few weeks, he had learned something very important. To trust, to have faith in people, especially your friends. It was a great feeling to live with the knowledge that there are people who will accept you for you are…

And if his gut feeling was telling him the truth, then, Severus Snape knew, that there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Everything will be fine…

"Rose, Alice," said the silver-haired girl, as they stopped in front of a wall, no, a door pretending to be a wall, as there was a doorknob in the middle.

"Hmmm?" voiced Alice, curiosity in her voice.

"Yes, Ilya?" said Rose.

"There is something I would like to show you," began the silver-haired girl, as she turned to face her friends, giving one glance at Severus, who nodded encouragingly, as Ilya Traced a small knife-key out of thin air and inserted it into the keyhole…

**-BREAK-**

(Crouch Sr. POV)

"Very well, you may go," said a curt voice. "Please keep me updated on any new developments."

The woman, who was carrying a bundle of parchments containing complicated equations made by her students, bowed, then took her leave, using the Floo Network.

"Is there any problem sir?" asked another witch, who was wearing a formal attire, like a secretary's, as she finished writing down the details of the conversation.

"No, there's nothing wrong," replied the man calmly.

"Would you like me to get you some coffee, sir? Some tea perh…" but the secretary paused as the curt-voiced individual raised his hand, in a silent gesture. "…Okay then sir."

_The problem is, there is no problem,_ thought Crouch, as he placed some tobacco into his pipe and igniting it, before sitting on his chair.

Any normal person would have been glad. It has been two weeks since the Hogwarts Express incident, and so far, nothing else has happened after that.

There had been no Death Eater activity since the 31stof August. No unexplained disappearances, no dead bodies suddenly turning up, no families massacred, no attacks on Muggle communities… there was none, nothing at all, and it bothered Crouch greatly. It was an eerie silence, worryingly eerie, and the dark grey-haired man knew that it was just another calm before a brewing storm. Lord Voldemort and his followers were undoubtedly biding their time. They were probably discreetly recruiting more people to the Dark Side, slowly gathering forces, until the time was right to strike again.

The Magical Law Enforcer knew that he should be happy about the turn of events. The Dark Lord and his minions, after all, have suffered a major setback, their plans delayed and thus forced them into their current predicament… but it was the cause of this setback that added greatly to Crouch's worries.

_That girl_, thought the Magical Law Enforcement Head, as he took another smoke from his pipe. _Who exactly is she?_

Yes, the girl was an enigma… an unstable and unknown factor. From the report he received from one of his trusted people, the girl was… from her words… dangerous… probably just as dangerous or even more so than Lord Voldemort himself.

Crouch's subordinate was actually trembling slightly when she told him her story, about how the silver-haired girl humiliated and made a fool out of the Dark Lord, defeating him and his entire army in one swift, calculated move. There was no doubt about it. The girl who went by the name Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya was a force to be reckoned with…

And the fact that she had been keeping a low profile as well… for Crouch, it was unnerving.

He had tried. The moment that word reached him about what happened, Crouch, along with some of his men, immediately went into action, to place the silver-haired girl under his custody…

And failed...

CRACK

"Sir, are you all right?" inquired the female secretary nervously, as the smoking pipe the head of office had just been using was now lying in two halves, the ashes scattered on the floor, leaving burning marks on it.

"I'm fine," replied Crouch in his usually curt and calm voice, although he was actually seething on the inside. "Please take care of this mess… I'm going out for a walk."

"Yes, sir," replied his office assistant, who pulled out her wand, as Crouch closed the office door behind him.

Crouch knew that it would be impossible to get to her now directly. For some reason or another, the girl, like the Dark Lord, had connections inside the Ministry, and there was no doubt in his mind that some of the Aurors, (especially one ambitious novice named Rufus Scrimgeour, who Crouch was not in good terms with), and also probably included the Head Auror himself, were allies of the silver-haired girl. Unfortunately, Richard Parker, while lower in rank to him, was an old acquaintance and friend of the Minister of Magic, Ronald Dreamweaver, and thus was able to manipulate things in such a way that rendered the girl's case nearly untouchable… from a direct assault at least. Still…

It was not as if the Head of Magical Law Enforcement was helpless on the matter. While he will not be able to do things out on the open, he does have a spy in Hogwarts, in the form of one of the teachers, who was secretly working for him, giving him every little detail she could on the school and its occupants, but was currently tasked to focus on the silver-haired girl, her friends, her habits, her strengths, her weaknesses. And also…

"Father, did you call for me?" asked a fourteen year old boy, who had just stepped out of one of the Ministry's fireplaces.

He has another card to play…

_I guess I'll just have to wait and see, _thought Crouch, a displeased expression on his face, which made his son cringe...

For while he was gifted in magic and politics, he was not blessed with naturally long patience, yet will have to endure due to the current circumstances…

After all, patience is a virtue…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out! It's been a really busy for week at school and at work, so it took a while to finish this one.

Anyway, one important thing is that I finished it. And another important thing is that there at least some people who enjoy reading my fics… Gotta go, though… since I have a lot more work piling up on me.

It's still a long way to go... but once this fic is completed, I'll definitely do some massive editing and rewrite... hopefully I'll have some free time then, once I finish my degrees...

I'll at least try and keep my promise to update once a week…

Later then, people…


	41. CHAPTER 39

**CHAPTER 39: TIGER DOJO**

(Severus POV)

"Merlin," gasped Alice in wonder, as she started taking a look around. Walking beside her was Rose, and while the blue-haired girl remained silent, the same surprised expression that was on the black-haired female's face can be seen on her own.

Severus Snape was not surprised with their reactions.

About a week before, Ilya had woken up the raven-haired young man to do some (against the rules) nighttime exploring. Technically, Ilya had been doing said illegal exploration alone, much to Severus' worry, so he made his girlfriend promise to let him come whenever she felt like doing so. At least that way, half of the blame will go to him (most, or all of the blame, if he was lucky) if ever they were caught, and it was then that Ilya showed him the room she had discovered.

When Severus entered the chamber with Ilya at the time, there was nothing in it. It was a large, vacant, circular room, about a third of the size of the Great Hall, which was occupied by air, literally. There were six doors, aside from the main entrance, which lead to six other chambers of the same size, all of which were also empty. Now, however…

The vacant room looked completely different to how it was before. The walls were painted white, and the once gloomy-looking room now looked lively. A wooden floor was placed on top of the concrete one, and a large sign was hanging on one side of the room, with an unfamiliar language written on it, though Ilya had told him what they mean: Tiger Dojo.

"Where did you get all these Ilya?" inquired Rose quietly, as she picked up, then inspected a long thin, finely carved, piece of wood, that was resting on one of the corner most parts of the room with others similar to it, while Alice, who had become surprisingly quiet as well, went for the shorter wooden ones which were shaped like daggers.

"I made them myself," said Ilya conversationally, which made the eyes of their two female friends widen. "With magic…"

"Magic? But they are too well-made… to have simply been crafted by magic," muttered the blue-haired girl, more to herself than to the other occupants of the room, as, to Severus' amusement, she started piercing the air with the wooden spear in her hand.

Even Severus was amazed with what they managed to accomplish, although most of it was his girlfriend's doing. In a few short days, they managed to transform it from a lonely, empty abandoned chamber, into a…

_Hmmm?_ thought Severus to himself, feeling discomfort. _This feeling… _

"Hey, Rose," said a cheerful female voice.

"What is it, Al…"

WHOOOSH!

_What in the name of Merlin?_ thought the raven-haired young man to himself.

One moment, Alice was talking in her usual cheery tone. The next moment…

It all happened in a flash. In one instant, without making a single sound after calling out, the black-haired female moved quickly, two wooden daggers on both hands, towards the blue-haired girl, who had her back to Alice. In the next instant…

CRACK!

"Guh!" voiced Alice, as she leapt backwards, her eyes widened with surprise, frowning for a moment, before it turned into a smirk.

"Now, that wasn't very nice…" growled a female voice, the beast-like characteristic of her narrowed, ruby-red eyes clearly visible…

On one side of the room was Rose, the wooden lance swung over her shoulder. On the other side of the room…

"That was impressive," said Alice, the smirk still plastered on her face, holding her two pairs of daggers in a defensive position…

Severus could not help but gasp. The wooden knives Alice was holding in her right hand… only the handles remained… the blades were completely destroyed…. And the ones she had on her left hand had cracks on them…

The raven-haired young man clearly saw what happened. The black-haired girl, who was originally on the offensive, was forced to go into defense, as the blue-haired girl thrust her wooden lance forward, before the other female could get any closer…

It was incredibly fast, and Alice barely had time to get her wooden blades into a defensive stance before it struck…

"And you're not so bad yourself…though your methods are rather underhanded," replied Rose, a feral grin, similar yet much more vicious to the one which appears when she was scolding misbehaving students, on it. "I concede…it's your win…"

_Huh? _thought Severus, feeling confused, knowing that there was a surprised expression on his face. He could not understand what was going on. Even though he was still a novice when it comes to non magic-related duels, he can tell that the one who was at a disadvantage was Alice. _Why did…_

But before the question could finish forming in his thoughts, it was answered.

"What the…" gasped Severus, as something fell to the floor. It was the tip of the wooden spear that Rose was holding, clearly sliced off.

_When did she…_ thought the bemused former Slytherin.

"You still have much to learn, Sev," said another voice suddenly in an almost-whisper. "You did not even realize that I was already standing beside you now, did you…"

Severus turned to his right, and saw Ilya looking at him amusedly. Not only has he failed to see the strike which was undoubtedly done by the black-haired former Gryffindor to destroy the lance's tip, he was so entranced and focused on the swift confrontation between Rose and Alice that he failed to notice that his girlfriend had snuck up on him…

"…Still, I must commend you," continued the silver-haired girl in a low voice. "You managed to sense the change in the atmosphere, as well as followed their movements to an extent, despite the fact that you haven't used Reinforcement on yourself…"

The young man could not help but smile, as the tone of his girlfriend's voice contained admiration in it. Still…

"Prepare yourself," growled a female voice.

_?! _was the only thought that entered Severus mind at what transpired next…

The blue-haired girl, holding another spear, was the one who charged forward this time, thrusting her wooden lance forward in quick successions, while the black-haired female dodged it, clearly having difficulty doing so…

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

CRACK!

"Whaa…!"

WHOOSH!

"I win again," said Alice with a smirk, as Rose's eyes narrowed, making a beast-like scowl, weaponless, her lance sent flying a considerable distance, near the edge of the room, while her opponent still held three of her four daggers, although one was destroyed. "I learned that one from Ilya…want to go for another round?"

The raven-haired young man gulped, as he remembered the 'prying the weapon off your opponent trick' that Ilya used against Alice on the train, which she seemed to have learned, even after only seeing it done once.

"Hmmm…" mused the silver-haired girl, watching their two other female companions resume with their little 'spar'. "I guess even the Unbreakable Charm has its limits… I better make some improvements then…"

"Shouldn't we try and stop them?" inquired the young man of his girlfriend in a whisper, as the third round of the sparring partners raged on, though to Severus (Though he could tell that their murderous intent was false.) it looked more like they were trying to kill each other. "Weren't you planning to tell them something?"

"I am, but let's wait until they finish first," said Ilya in an amused tone, as the two of them continued watching the ongoing battle. "I wouldn't want to spoil their fun…"

The raven-haired young man took one look at the viciously sparring females, and then at his girlfriend, who was wearing a rather… strange smile on her face, as he felt cold sweat running down his face…

Severus felt a shiver run down his spine, as he briefly recalled the article he read in a Muggle Magazine.

Just like any other cats, tigers can be cute, sweet and playful. But if you ever cross one…

The raven-haired young man gulped as he remembered the carnage that was portrayed in the article…

And according to it as well, female tigers tend to be far more ferocious than the male ones…

_Tiger dojo huh,_ sighed the young man inwardly, as he and Ilya watched Alice and Rose on their fifth round, both at two wins and two losses, with damage visible on their clothes, as his silver-haired girlfriend muttered about forgetting to prepare some protective gear. _Definitely a fitting name… _

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Well, I must admit, that was a pathetic display, Severus, getting beaten up by a girl," mocked a female voice, belonging to a certain black-haired former Gryffindor.

The raven-haired young man could not help but scowl, but had no retort, knowing full well that what Alice said was true.

_Flashback_

_"Here," she said, as Severus caught what it was that she threw at him… a wooden sword._

_"Ilya?" asked Severus in a quiet voice, as he took one look at the pair of swords that she was holding in her hands, and then at her face, a smile plastered on it before…_

_WHOOSH!_

_CRACK!_

_THUD!_

_"GAH!" shouted Severus, as he landed painfully on his bottom, finally noticing that Rose and Alice had finished with their own fight, and were watching the exchange, an annoying look plastered on their faces…_

_Ilya, who was looking at the broken weapon beside the raven-haired young man, sighed. "I really have to find a way to makes these more durable…" And she walked off towards the stock of wooden training weapons, taking another sword…_

_End of Flashback_

Ilya decided to postpone telling their two friends about magecraft for another time, which would be the next day, as she had planned on the four of them going to the room on a daily basis, to which the other two females agreed. They had been happily focusing on something else which, in Severus' opinion, was equally as dangerous… although for him, that wasn't the problem…

In the last week of August, Ilya had begun giving Severus training on swordsmanship. Naturally, as Ilya's 'body was made out of swords,' she was skilled with the blade, and thus Severus had no hope of beating her, even if he uses Reinforcement while she does not. At first, even though his reflexes were already good as they are, he could not tell whether or not his skill with wielding the sword has improved, as the results with his spars with Ilya never changed… he normally ended up fainting, kneeling on the floor, or falling on his butt (as well as the fact that the practice swords they were using still ended up obliterated after every match, one way or another.).

Now, he was able to at least personally tell that he may have had some improvement. While Ilya had been telling him that she had been slowly increasing the level of fighting she makes her boyfriend experience, Severus found it hard to believe. Now, however, with the exception of the first spar, Severus was now able to last at least a few minutes against her, even without using Reinforcement on his body. Even Ilya told him happily that she was impressed with his progress. Still…

Like Alice said, he was pathetic, and this thought has been nagging at him continuously, a small voice at the back of his mind. And it was not because he got beaten up by a girl, as the black-haired former Gryffindor said. No, the reason why he felt pathetic… was because of the way he was at the moment…

Yes, he knew it. He was not yet strong enough. He was still weak. He swore to himself that he would stay by Ilya's side, to be able to protect her… for them to be able to protect each other… yet the way things are at the moment… he felt so useless…

_I have to get stronger_… thought Severus to himself, his thoughts mostly wandering on his strengths and weaknesses, on swordsmanship, on magecraft, on inventing new spells instead of his studies, as he, Ilya, Alice and Rose continued reading (Although in his case, pretending to read.) their school textbooks in the Ravenclaw common room, to prepare for the classes for the next day…

**-BREAK-**

(James POV)

"You're sure it's around here?" asked the dog animagus with a growl.

"Of course I'm sure," replied the messy-haired boy with glasses, as he pulled out his wand and did some edits on the Marauders Map, brushing off a couple of moths that landed on it, double-checking it, making sure that the dots of certain four people were at a safe distance, on the seventh floor, then updating the Map, incorporating the new corridor into it. "The door is on this spot, right Wormy?"

The rat animagus nodded nervously.

James Potter was not having a good day, nor has he had one that can ever be truly considered nice ever since he entered Hogwarts for his sixth year… and it was all thanks to a certain greasy-haired git and his Lily-Evans-copycat wench.

Yes, James and his Marauders friends, knowing full well the possible consequences of continuing, grudgingly decided to stop their Snivellus-hunting habit. It was only logical. After everything they have seen and experienced, it was only natural for them to be literally…scared out of their wits, and thus opted to just avoid any confrontations, lest it cost them dearly, probably their lives included. James could not help but feel fortunate that D.A.D.A classes have not yet started, as it was the only particular N.E.W.T.s class wherein the students of all Houses are mixed together and taught as one. Luckily enough, as Snape had been transferred to Ravenclaw, the rest of his classes were held in double session with the Hufflepuffs, as the Gryffindors had them with the Slytherins (While that was not pleasant, the slimy serpents were at least more tolerable without the greasy git around.).

Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs thought that it would be for the best. Pretend as if Severus Snape and Ilyasviel Emiya don't exist, ignore them, and everything would be fine. And for a little while things seemed to be going according to plan… But then…

_Flashback_

_(James POV)_

_"Hey, there Moony, want to go Maraudering with us?" inquired James of one of his best friends, early Monday morning._

_"We're going to plant a Portable Swamp in front of the Slytherin common room," added Padfoot, with a canine grin on his face. "Should ensure that those Slimy Snakes are able to start the week right."_

_"Sorry, but I'm rather busy at the moment, you three can go ahead without me," replied the cured werewolf, who was busy reading something._

_"Oh, okay then," replied Prongs, sounding disappointed. "Catch you later then…"_

_End of Flashback_

Yes, ever since fifth year, Remus had been coming with them less and less during their Maraudering exploits. Moony was a bookworm after all, and since the O.W.L.s were coming up, it was understandable that he would spend a lot of his time studying. And now in sixth year, when N.E.W.T.s, Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, were coming up, it was to be expected that he would indulge further than ever before into his reading and studies. However…

_Flashback_

_(James POV)_

_"Such a shame," sighed James, as he and Sirius headed for the dungeons. "It would have been more fun if Moony came with us. Why can't he be a bit more carefree? Studying all the time? That's no fun at all…"_

_"True," replied Sirius. "Still, did you notice what Remus was reading, James?"_

_"No, what about it?" inquired James cheerfully. "I'm sure they're just some advanced textbooks for our upcoming exams."_

_"No they weren't," replied the dog animagus with a growl. "He wasn't reading any of our textbooks."_

_"What do you mean?" said James quickly, dropping his happy-go-lucky demeanor, as he noticed the seriousness in Sirius' voice. "What was Moony reading then?"_

_"He was reading the Bible," squeaked Wormtail suddenly._

_"Bible?" asked James and Sirius together._

_The rat animagus nodded. "I was following Remus like y-you told me to, and he went to the owlery… he said h-he was ordering books on warding off evil spirits… I'm not sure why though…"_

_End of Flashback _

Ever since he got back from being kidnapped by Snivellus and the Emiya girl, their friend Moony had been acting really strangely. And this made James, Sirius, and Peter really worried. Something was definitely fishy…

Thanks to Peter's animagus form and the Marauder's map, they were able to track and stalk Severus Snape and his company unnoticed. However…

CRASH!

"Damn it, why won't it open?" barked Sirius, as he was slammed on the wall opposite of the one which Peter reported was supposed to be a door, although for some reason, the doorknob was nowhere to be seen. They tried ever spell they knew, even resorting to the use of brute physical force, yet they were unable to force open the door, remaining stiff as the wall it was pretending to be, into the room which undoubtedly held a lot of secrets that Snape and his merry friends had been hiding…

Even though they found the entrance to what James and his friends believe will give them the answers they want, they were unable to enter it, even though it was just in front of them...

So near, yet so far…

BOOM!

"There has to be a way," snarled James, panting in exhaustion, as the Reductor Curse he used (for the twentieth or so times) on the pretend-wall did not even leave a mark, which meant that either the door was really tough or, as should be expected, was protected by powerful enchantments. He was soon brought out of his reverie, however.

"H-hey James, Sirius!" squeaked Pettigrew suddenly, his watery eyes on the Marauders Map. "Someone's coming this way!"

Without another thought, the three Marauders placed the Invisibility Cloak over themselves and ran as fast as they could from the narrow corridor, getting away just in time, as the caretaker's cat, Skittles, appeared around the corner, followed immediately by the caretaker. Argus Filch, himself...

"At least now we know where it is," whispered James to Sirius and Peter, who nodded in agreement.

All they need to do now is find a way to enter it. It will be difficult, but James was confident that they will be able to find a way to break through the protective spells and enchantments. And once they do… they will be able to get their hands on enough evidence to have Snivellus expelled, and send him and his little group packing…

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

Ever since she first entered Hogwarts, Ilya had done a bit of exploring the school, and found it to be quite interesting. Having the ability to grasp the basic structure of buildings, she had found out many things about the Hogwarts Castle. Thanks to Severus, Rose and Alice, who served as her tour guides, she managed to familiarize herself with the place really quickly.

The castle, unlike the rumors she heard that it was able to remain standing due to magic, actually had a strong, solid, non-magical foundation. While it was true that things seemed to be run by magical energy, like the moving stairs, the pretend walls and doors, and others, the castle was actually held up by impressive pillars, made of non-weatherable material. Although they were enchanted by magic, they were sure to last thousands of years even without it, being made with the finest mixture of metal and ceramics, keeping the castle structure firmly in place. However, there were also some places which Ilya's skill could not penetrate. For starters, there was a large portion of the castle underground which seemed like a void, black in color. She knew that it was magic of some sort blocking her vision, but no matter how she tried, she could not see past it. Another such place was a wall on the seventh floor. Ilya was sure that there was a room behind it, but for some reason, she could not see past the vision block there as well.

This fact rather frustrated Ilya, and further aroused her curiosity, but decided to leave it for another time. She did, after all, using her ability, manage to find numerous hidden passages all throughout Hogwarts, and a number of them actually led out of the school, and this fact led Ilya to wonder whether they were placed there by the Founders in case of emergency to escape the castle, or simply to give explorative and rule-breaking students a great opportunity…

And it was through one of these explorations that she found the vacant room chambers on the fourth floor, unknown to everyone else…

Or so she thought…

At first, Ilya was not pleased. In a matter of a few days, the location she had thought would be ideal had been discovered rather quickly, and by three of her's and Severus' least favorite people no less.

She was not worried about them breaking the enchantments she placed. Having had enough time on her hands, she was able to study the frequency of the Hogwarts Castle Magic and its protective wards, and was thus able to place powerful defenses around her new territory. And indeed, she was confident that the protection she placed would suffice to prevent even powerful wizards from entering it…

Well… except perhaps their Head of House Filius Flitwick and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

Flitwick was their Charms teacher, and the defenses installed around his office was enough of a testament to confirm that he was really talented with area protection magic. Ilya had once visited the short teacher with Rose to submit their essays in advance, and the silver-haired girl was impressed. As it stands, Flitwick was still her superior when it comes to this branch of magic. And anyone who is good at setting up protection is undoubtedly just as talented at destroying it…

Then there was the Headmaster, and he was an even bigger potential threat. As of the moment, save for the fact that she felt enormous amounts of magical energy coming from said silver beard, Ilya had no exact gauge of his abilities, and that in itself was troubling. The old man was dangerous, probably just as, or even more so than Lord Voldemort… And the feeling she gets from the Headmaster was similar to the one which she got from her father, Kiritsugu Emiya. Dumbledore was unreadable, and if the Marauders decide to report their discovery to the Professors, especially him… that would not be good…

Fortunately, the silver-haired girl had set up surveillance around the entrance of her recently established territory. She had placed several insect familiars, as well as placed a spell on the adjacent wall, the visions of which Ilya can access at will (As well as playback previous visions, just like a video recorder.). Because of it, what could have been a huge problem was instead turned into an advantageous position.

"Ilya, are you alright?" inquired a male voice nervously.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine Sev," replied Ilya to her boyfriend, who undoubtedly noticed the evil smile that appeared on her face. "I was just…thinking…of something…"

Sev stared at her worriedly for a few more seconds, before getting back to work on a N.E.W.T.s Transfiguration Project (Although it was not his own. Ilya knew that Sev had already finished his, and he was undoubtedly commissioned to make the current one for someone else.).

Yes, she will tell Sev, Rose and Alice about it the next day, but for now, she has an assignment to finish…

_Fufufu… so they have an Invisibility Cloak… Peter Pettigrew's a rat animagus… they have a map that lets them know the current location of every single person in Hogwarts..._ mused Ilya to herself. as she continued answering the homework given to the fifth years by Professor Slughorn…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright! Another chapter out then. Man, it's not exactly easy having a lot of things to do. Busy with school works, busy with your job, then you catch the flu and there you have it. So I tried to take the day off, but hell I couldn't sleep. And since that was just the case anyway, I settled for doing something I like instead.

Never actually expected it to get this long when I first started this fanfic, though at a later point I made additional plans and hell, at its current planned length, it is not yet even half way there.

I did a bit of editing and damn did I make another blunder. I was trying to follow most of the cannon, so I did a bit of rereading, then I found out that Filch was already the caretaker during 1973, and this story is in 1976... what a drag... I won't change the cat's name though, since they can only live an average of twenty years...

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy reading my fics...

Later then, people...


	42. CHAPTER 40

**SPECIAL CHAPTER**

**CHAPTER 40: RETURN THE FAVOR, A THOUSAND FOLD  
**

Note: This is still part of the main storyline, and it happened during the first few days of Ilya's stay in Hogwarts, before the events of the previous chapters (which is currently on September 12).

* * *

**THE POLTERGEIST**

**Friday, September 3, 1976**

(Severus POV)

"AHHHH… STAY AWAY… STAY AWAY!" screamed a voice, dropping the prank paraphernalla he was holding, and flew away as fast as he could.

"Hmmm… now what was that about?" pondered a female voice, belonging to a girl named Alice.

Severus Snape could not help but feel surprised.

The poltergeist was a menace. An apparition which spelled doom for anyone he ever decided to target (In other words, anyone who is unfortunate enough to cross his path.). Armed with a various assortment of pranking materials, as well as having his own natural pranking skill (which was greatly enhanced by the fact that he could turn into nothing and become invisible, negating any attempts at revenge), the only other people in the castle who Severus could say was even worse than him were the Marauders, and that may only be because they prioritized targeting him above others. Personal grudges aside, when it comes to overall pranking performance, Peeves was actually the better trickster, more daring, and more experienced, than the merry Gryffindor band of four.

For the Marauders were still sensible enough not to cross the line with doing their theatrics on teachers (Unless, of course, they were sure they wouldn't get caught, unlike Peeves, who did not have to worry about such trivials matters as detentions or getting expelled.). The poltergeist, personally, had no respect for teachers whatsoever, not even Albus Dumbledore, which would have been a very stupid thing to do, except that said Headmaster, seemed tolerant of the joker, not to mention the fact that said joker was already dead, and thus trying to harm him would be futile effort, or in Dumbledore's case, would be an unnecessary waste of time and energy.

The only one who could keep Peeves in line was the ghost of Slytherin House, the Bloody Baron. Said ghost was the only being, dead or not, in Hogwarts, which Peeves, for one reason or another, was afraid of. No… the poltergeist was frightened of him, and it is for this particular reason that Peeves did not try and disrupt classes, undoubtedly on the Baron's strict orders, as well as refrained from doing frontal assaults on Slytherin students (only sneak attacks). Yes, the Baron was the only one who can keep Peeves in check…

Or not…

"Ilya?" said the raven-haired young man inquiringly.

For the past couple of days, whenever Severus and his companions encountered Peeves, wherever it was in the castle, the poltergeist would immediately flee towards the opposite direction. And the strange things was… there was no Bloody Baron scaring him off. They were Ravenclaws after all (even though Severus was a former Slytherin, he no longer was one.), and it made the raven-haired young man curious. Something was up…

"What is it, Sev?" replied his white-haired girlfriend conversationally.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Oh you mean about that?" said Ilya in an even tone, who seemed to know that he was referring to the poltergeist's reaction.

The raven-haired young man sweatdropped, feeling a chill, as he saw a rather mischeviously unpleasant smile forming on his girlfriend's face. He had a suspicion, and now it was confirmed. There could be no doubt about it. For only-Merlin-knows-what-happened, Peeves was terrified of the silver-haired girl... And it was not only the poltergeist… for as Severus noticed, all the other ghosts, from the cheerful Fat Friar to the proud Bloody Baron, seemed to be avoiding Ilya as much as possible as well… and it only added to her reputation as the Dark Lady…

"I'll tell you about it after dinner…"

**-BREAK-**

**Wednesday, September 1, 1976**

(Peeves POV)

"Mmmmm….MMMM?!" a certain apparition exclaimed, as he awoke with a start.

"Oh, so you're finally awake," said a voice cheerfuly, belonging to the wench who was standing some distance away, by the table, in front of Peeves.

It was a girl with silver hair, the one who the whole school seemed to be talking about. She was wearing, a white collar shirt, plus a pair of matching white gloves on both hands. She was holding a scalpel on one hand, and the table beside her was loaded with various items; flasks of different colored fluids, test tubes, a scissor, a chart… a notebook… and several more sharp pointy objects.

The poltergeist was familiar with the room. It was one of the less used Potions classrooms, and from here Peeves sometimes got a few of his pranking chemicals to use on the students. More importantly… this was one of his cheerful little hideouts, as the Bloody Baron had never once, in a span of several hundreds of years, found him when he hid in this particular classroom… It was a safe hiding place…

Yet for some reason, it doesn't feel like one at the moment…

_Flashback_

_"YIPEE!" Peeves shouted in delight, in an annoying, sing-song voice, as he wheezed past, dropping Dung Bombs on a dozen, frail-looking students, who screamed and ran for cover. Unfortunately, a couple of them weren't able to move fast enough, and got a direct hit from the stink explosion._

_"YOU CAN RUN… BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE… ICKLE LITTLE FIRSTIES… FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL… IS FUN FOR OLD PEEVESIE…!" as he sent water balloons flying in every direction, some of which hit a mark._

_"Peeves," said a stern voice, belonging to one of the older kiddies. "You are causing trouble like always… but unless you want the Bloody Baro…" SPLASH!_

_"Bloody Baron, you say?" mock inquired the poltergeist as the student spat out water from his mouth. "He's not at the castle at the moment… " At this, Peeves' smile widened even further…_

_End of Flashback_

It is a sad fact, but as people grow older, both in mind and body, they tend to become more alert and on their guard. Add that to their annoying ability to adapt and getting used to something, and it makes pranking them less fun… Which is why Peeves always enjoyed September the 1st, when a bunch of young, naïve, inexperienced kids enter the castle… It was a feast. First years tend to be easy prey, and it is quite easy to make tears pour from their eyes… a sight which, in the poltergeist's point of view, was nothing short of magnificent…

"Feeling comfy?" inquired the girl with silver-haired, looking at the poltergeist straight in the eyes.

The poltergeist was in shock. For the very first time in his over a thousand years of existence… the creature born from chaos and turmoil felt a brand new emotion… fear… for the first time in his entire existence, a certain sentence, which had never been there before, formed in his brain…

"MMMM?!"

_I NEED TO GET AWAY, _Peeves screamed in his thoughts, unable to do so aloud as his mouth was jammed, and he tried to teleport… then turn into air… but to his dismay, he was unable to do so…

"What you're doing is futile, you know," said the silver-haired wench, with an evil smirk on her face, who had taken a step backward, and watched in amusement as the poltergeist struggled to break free. "I have done a bit of research on your kind… The bindings I used would not work on any normal poltergeist… though as you have a physical body, you are an exception… you can even feel pain... lucky me…"

Panicking, Peeves began attempting to use brute force, struggling against the chains that held both his arms and legs… but his efforts were in vain…

"MMM…MMMM…MMMM…MMMM!"

_WHO IS SHE?! I NEED TO ESCAPE! WHY IS SHE DOING THIS?! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! _thought the apparition to himself… For the very first time… the poltergeist's mind was not focused on mayhem, but rather on something of significance instead… in this case, his own well being…

"Do you know what this is, specter?" said the silver-haired girl, in a cheerfully cold voice, who was holding something in her hands… a cockroach… "This is one of your toys… you dropped a whole bucket of these on my friend Evelyn…"

Instinctively, the apparition furiously shook his head in denial…

"Oh, you don't remember?" mocked the silver-haired female, but an aura of hostility was now emanating from her… chaos which had been observed, but never felt before, by Peeves. "A short girl with brown hair who missed her first day of classes because she had to stay in the Hospital Wing, having broken her leg when she fell off the stairs because of you?"

It was ironic. A poltergeist was never truly alive after all. It is simply a manifestation formed from the negative emotions of people in an area, and thus cannot die… as it is never truly alive…

Unfortunately for Peeves, like the girl said, he was a special case… he had a physical form… and oh, how he wished right now that he didn't…

"Well, it doesn't really matter if you don't remember," sighed the girl. "What is important is that you did what you did… Don't worry… I won't kill you… I promise I'll let you go… but I have conditions…"

And thus the poltergeist's captor began giving him conditions, to which Peeves nodded eagerly. Had his mouth not been jammed together, an evil grin would have appeared on his face: he had no intention of keeping his end of the bargain. Once he was free, he would instantly swoop down on the girl and make her pay... then her friends were next… oh, sweet revenge…

"… so do you promise?"

"MMM… MM… MMM… MMM!"

"Very well then," replied the silver-haired girl.

She then reached her hand out towards the poltergeist, probably to remove what was jamming it's mouth…

_That's it…_ thought the apparition tensely. _Yes… just a bit more…_

"MMMM?" aounded the spectre, as he felt something hurt his right hand. Peeves turned his head, and saw something pointy with a transparent tube on the end piercing it.

"Hmmm… so even poltergeists have blood," said the female in monotone, as she observed the red liquid she had taken from the apparition's physical form, while taking notes.

"MMM… MMMMM MMM MMMMMMMM MM MMMMMMM MM?" The spectre made his grumble of agony as loud as he could. Wasn't the girl going to release her? As if reading his mind, the white-haired female smiled…

"Oh, of course I will let you go," said the girl conversationally. "But first, I would like to run some tests… I'm sure you wouldn't mind me asking an additional favor or two, right?"

_DEAR CHAOS_, thought Peeves to himself. Time and again he had been the cause of mayhem and misery for the poor creatures that existed around him. But now, for the first time in all his existence, he was the one at the receiving end… at this moment, he wished he never existed…

"MMMM!?" shouted the poltergeist, as something sharp sliced his face…

"Hmmm… physical form has quick regeneration on the face… takes only a few seconds for superficial wounds to heal… will do similar tests on the other body parts…"

PLUCK!

"MMMM?!"

An eye was removed…

"MMMMM!"

An arm was sliced off…

"MMMMMM!"

A leg was cut off…

SWOOSH!

"MMMMMMMM!"

A knife pierced his heart…

"Interesting… physical body parts regrow, good as new… blood, body parts separated from the core disappear within one minute…"

It was too much for the old poltergeist, who was, incredibly for one who was not truly alive, in tears. The pain and agony… he never even thought of the possibility. He didn't want to believe it… but this was real… definitely real…

Too stressed with what was happening, the poltergeist's vision went black… as he lost consciousn…

"MMMM!?"

"Oh, sorry about that," said the female in a calm voice, who had, by one way or another, revived his consciousness. "But I can't let you fall asleep just yet… My experiment will be in vain if you were unconscious… And I'm sorry if I can't remove the bind in your mouth either… my observations will be useless if you were not emotionally distressed… and screaming will let you vent out some of it…" Once again, a smile appeared on the silver-haired girl's face… wider and terrible than before…

Peeves the poltergeist lost sense of everything, aside from the pain which he had been made to endure, although one thought clearly formed in his mind…

_She's a monster…_

**-BREAK-**

**Friday, September 3, 1976**

(Severus POV)

"Oh, so that's what happened," said Rose, as she drank some milk. "It did not seem like he learned his lesson though…"

"I wish I had done more though," sighed the silver-haired girl. "Now that he knows that we know that he can feel pain, as well as the fact that there is a way to keep him in his physical form, he's definitely going to be more cautious."

"So… can you teach us this spell, Ilya?" inquired Alice, an eager look in her eyes…

Ilya smiled. "Sure thing… now the incantation is…"

Ilya gave an explanation to her friends about what happened between her and the poltergeist. According to the rumors she heard, Peeves had been causing so much trouble, that she thought it would be nice to try and see if she could make him stop with his madness, and then the silver-haired girl gave a detailed explanation of what she did…

First, she ambushed the apparition in the dungeons, immediately putting him under the spell. Peeves tried to get away, but made a mistake. Not knowing he could not unsolidify himself, the poltergeist crashed right into the dungeon ceiling, and while distracted, Ilya used the Full Body Bind Curse (Petrificus totalus) on said jester. After which, Ilya bombarded the specter with his own set of pranking tools and equipments, including Dung Bombs… And Peeves had been avoiding her ever since…

Severus looked at the other two females in their recently formed company, and they seemed to have been convinced. Peeves, after all, had the pride of a prankster… as well as the fact that no one had ever been successful in making him be on the receiving end of one. And due to his unpreparedness, the experience shook the poltergeist, and frightened him to his wits… It was a good story…

But the raven-haired young man could feel. There was something more… there was something that does not fit…

For starters, the aura and the look of horror on the face of the poltergeist… If it had been a mere prank bombardment, Peeves would have undoubtedly found it annoying, not horrifying, and, having the pride of a joker, would have retaliated as soon as he can (as he did whenever the Marauders tried to prank the apparition).

_Something doesn't add up, _thought Severus Snape, an inquisitive expression on his face, as they were walking towards the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower… The way Peeves had looked… it was the look of someone who had narrowly missed death… and for something like that to be felt by someone who cannot die… To think that someone who wasn't even alive was terrified to such a point. Still…

_Flashback_

_"MS. ILYA! MR. SEVERUS!" shouted a female voice, as a brown-haired missile shot for the silver-haired girl and the raven-haired man beside her, then latched on to them in a vice-grip like hug…_

_"Hey…there…Evelyn," said Ilya gently. "Are you feeling any better? How is your leg doing?"_

_"I'm fine," chirped the brown-haired girl happily, as she let go of them. "Madam Pomfrey fixed my leg with one flick of her wand… See?" Evelyn twirled herself around a bit._

_"That's good then," said Severus. "Just make sure to avoid Peeves if you can… "_

_"Oh, there's no need to worry, Sev… that problem has been taken care of, I think…" said his silver-haired girlfriend, and felt himself sweatdrop at the cruel smile that briefly appeared on her face, before she turned it back to her normal one when she faced Evelyn. _

_End of Flashback_

Still, whatever really happened, it did not really matter much to Severus, as he decided to drop the issue, having always told him whatever she thought was important. If ever she lied or withheld information it was with good reason.

Severus knows that his girlfriend is really protective of her friends… and was willing to do anything to keep the people she cared for out of harm's way… Though it also means that those who would try and hurt the people she considered as family…

_Should be prepared for the consequences…_

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright then, people. First off, I would like to announce that I did some slight editing with the previous chapter because… I made on hell of a blunder, in the name Carlos Cortez! Man, I did a bit of researching since and found out that Argus Filch had already been the caretaker of Hogwarts since 1973 (My fic starts at 1976). So yeah, I fixed that, and I also added something in the last few paragraphs, just go back and read it and you'll understand.

As for the cat though… well, I no longer replaced the name Skittles… as cats don't have a long lifespan after all… so let's just say this cat died of old age and was supposed to be later replaced by Mrs. Norris…

I have also been reading some of the reviews. I'm glad that there are some people who like my fic, but I would like to clarify a few details which were mentioned by one of the reviews. I'm basing these on canon.

1. Fluffy and the entrance to the stone was on the third floor, not seventh.

2. Room of Requirement is on the seventh floor, not the fourth floor.

3. The room which Ilya found is not the room of Requirement, but simply a vacant room, which I added in the fic, and like I mentioned earlier, it is on the fourth floor. After all, there are lots of undiscovered stuff in Hogwarts, so the room she found was one of them… And it was, except for the wall-door trick, an ordinary vacant room, until it was improved with defensive and anti-trespasser security measures and enchantments…

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy reading my works… I've still got the flu though… as well as stressed out from the undoubtedly piled up school and office work waiting for me once I recover… so please forgive me for any typo errors and the like…

Later then people…


	43. CHAPTER 41

**CHAPTER 41: HEAVEN IS HELL  
**

(Severus POV)

"There is something I would like to show you," said a silver-haired girl, as she opened the door…

It was Tuesday. Classes had proceeded normally, and it was an uneventful day, except for two significant ones, one of which was the fact that Slughorn once again made another attempt to recruit Ilya to his Slug Club (_Persistent one, isn't he?_), which, according to her story, she avoided, by asking Rose to take her flask of Potion to the Potions Masters while she slipped out of the classroom. And the other…

It was two in the afternoon. Severus and his friends were once again in their hidden retreat on the fourth floor. And this time, Ilya had shown them another one of the chambers.

At first the two of them were anxious. They did not know how Alice and Rose would react once they saw it…

It was another room, one of the six which was connected to the entrance chamber which had now been turned into the Tiger Dojo.

A room which was devoted to the study of the different forms of magecraft. A magus' workshop.

Like the other room, it was also originally empty. Now, with some effort, the chamber has now become entirely different.

The room, as far as Severus could tell, seemed to have become a combination of a Potion Master's laboratory and a blacksmith's workshop. Test tubes, flasks, beakers, measuring instruments of all sorts, as well as some cutting knives designed for chopping ingredients can be seen in an orderly fashion. However, what would get people's attention the most, would probably be the things that were floating around…

There were swords… about a dozen of them, suspended in mid-air… and the raven-haired young man had no doubt as to where they came from…

Originally, Ilya had told Severus that she had been planning to set up a workshop at Spinner's End. However, due to the lack of necessary space, and perhaps also the fact that she focused on teaching Severus magecraft while she in turn learned the magic of his world, she did not do so.

Yes, this was one of Ilya's most well-kept secrets…

"I never knew you were an alchemist Ilya…"

"… back at home, we have a room even larger than this one, devoted to alchemy…"

"… Frank's Uncle Algae also has one, though his workshop is full of toads… he likes toads…"

"I see…" said the silver-haired girl, nodding.

Severus could not help but sigh in relief, and even though his girlfriend's voice seemed monotonous, he could tell that she was relieved as well…

For some reason or another, neither Rose nor Alice seemed to have been too affected by what Ilya had shown them. True, they seemed mildly surprised, but aside from that, everything was normal. Apparently, there were magical workshops in their world that was similar to the one which Ilya constructed.

"… still, you should be careful, though," said Alice, as the group returned to the main chamber to have their dinner, her hand slowly making its way to the food which Ilya had made for them. "I heard that nasty things can happen if… EEK!"

"Oh, sorry…" said Ilya sheepishly, and she was about to place a transparent glass jar into her bag, when…

"Ilya, can I borrow this?" inquired Rose in calm voice, as she took the jar from the silver-haired girl's hand before she could put it away.

Severus gulped, as the blue-haired girl began tossing the glass container, containing a brown creature, to and fro into the air…

"H-hey, what do you think you're doing?" said the black-haired female nervously.

"I never knew you were afraid of rodents, Alice," said Rose, a beast like grin forming on her face.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," replied the other female.

"Just make sure you don't let it out, okay?" sighed the white-haired girl, who also seemed to be enjoying the show…

"Sure thing, Ilya," replied the blue-haired girl, who had the look of someone who was ready to pounce on her prey. "Now, then, where were we…?"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" screamed Alice, and she ran as fast as she could, while the girl carrying the jar was hot on her tail. If one would remember the story of a certain someone who had his mansion built in a circular fashion so that the devil could not corner him when he came to collect his soul, it could be said that the current situation was similar…

Still, Severus could not help but feel amused, not at the fact that Alice was screaming like a little girl (although technically, she is a girl), but at the predicament of the creature that was currently trapped inside the glass jar that was placed under an Unbreakable Charm, getting tossed around…

**-BREAK-**

(James POV)

James Potter and Sirius Black were not having a good day. Ever since they first noted that their friend Remus was acting strangely, the other three Marauders decided to stalk and try to dig dirt on the people which they suspect, with good reason, to be the ones responsible for Moony's odd behavior.

To proceed with their plans, the three decided that one of them should keep track of the four whenever they had no classes, and Peter was the one chosen for the task. It was only natural, after all. Wormtail's rat animagus form was ideal for espionage. With his small size and ability to squeeze into very small places, his ability was perfect for the job. It would be almost impossible for him to get caught…

And almost impossible was indeed the right term for it…

"What do we do now, Prongs?" inquired the dog animagus seriously, as he and his stag animagus friend sat in the Gryffindor Common room, deep in thought, as they read the blue paper letter that was snuck into James' bag, over and over again, with a picture attached to it...

**_I am currently in possession of the creature shown in the photograph._**

**_If you want it back, come to the Astronomy Tower tomorrow at 5:00am._**

**_I'll return it in exchange for your Invisibility Cloak. Do not wear it._**

**_Signed_**

**_Archer_**

The two Marauders actually shouted loudly in fear and shock when they first saw the photograph. It was the picture of a mouse inside a jar… a familiar, brown mouse… and the two knew full well who it was…

In truth, at the moment, James still wanted to scream and run around like crazy. He was not sure of what he should do. Yet he also knew that panicking would not solve their problem. Temporarily removing Snivellus and his friends from his line of thought, the stag animagus focused on the situation at hand…

This Archer person, whoever he was, was well-informed. Ever since the Battle of the Sorting Ceremony, the man using this pen name has kept a low profile. After the blast that he had initiated at the Great Hall, the Marauders had actually expected him to strike again, but surprisingly he has not.

Originally, James and Sirius thought that Archer's true identity was Derreck Wilkes. The slimy snake, after all, was the one who started the whole thing. But after successfully launching pranks on him in the past couple of weeks, they seriously began to doubt if it was indeed the case, perhaps it was just a fluke…

And now their suspicion that their assumption had been wrong has been confirmed. Because this guy, Archer, knows about the Invisibility Cloak. And as far as James knew, there were only four people in Hogwarts who knew about it: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and himself, Prongs. Ruling out the possibility that one of them was responsible,if ever someone else found out about it, the only person likely to do so would likely be… a fellow Gryffindor.

Yes, perhaps one of their dorm mates caught site of them carelessly wearing it before going out of the portrait hole, and thus wanted the Cloak for himself, by taking Wormtail hostage…

James could not help but smile slightly at the fact that entered his mind. Based on the note, Archer, whoever he was, did not seem to know that the rat he has abducted was actually Peter Pettigrew, for which the stag animagus was thankful for. The three of them, after all, were unregistered animagi, which was illegal, and was equivalent to a decade in Azkaban. If the man knew… they would, literally, be in deeper trouble, especially Peter, as Archer would have something hanging over him specially.

James and Sirius continued pondering to themselves, trying to think of the best plan to save their friend, and getting revenge on the kidnapper while they were at it…

**-BREAK-**

(Peter POV)

A certain small, brown, creature, was trembling inside a small jar that was his prison.

It was the worst, both as a human, and as a mouse, experience that Peter Pettigrew had to go through in his entire life.

Just like the day before, Wormtail had been tasked to do surveillance on Severus Snape and his friends. Being a rat animagus, while still nervous and fidgety, Peter had enough confidence that he would not get caught. Nobody in the school, after all, knew that he and his friends were animagi, and thus by using the form of a small, harmless mouse, he was sure that he was safe.

And so, gathering up all the courage he could muster, he continued stalking Snivellus and company. The rat Animagus knew that his friends would be pleased. Soon they will have enough evidence on the greasy-haired former Slytherin's Dark activities, and have him expelled… This was the last thought that entered Wormtail's head, before he passed out… and when he woke up…

He found himself in the situation he was presently in.

An Animagus, after all, when they are in animal mode, have simpler and less complex emotions to when they are human, the instinct of the form affecting it. And thus, according to what he sensed as a rat, Peter Pettigrew felt…

That he was in mortal danger…

His world was black, he couldn't hear anything, as if there was some sort of spell placed around him that prevented his senses from working properly. After charging aimlessly at it for a little while, Peter noticed that whatever it was he was trapped in was made of glass. In desperation, he would have transformed back into his human form, if not for…

_"I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar…" said a familiar female voice cheerfully._

Peter was stopped dead on his tracks. If he tried to turn back to his larger form while he was in a jar imbued with an Unbreakable Charm… it was too much to even think about. That was the one and only sentence which he heard, before all his senses were shut off once again… well, most anyway… For some reason, he still had the sense of touch, and it was a most unpleasant experience, as he felt his prison being tossed around, as he painfully bumped to and fro into the glass…

Seconds… minutes…hours…days… Peter had no idea how much time had passed. All he knew was that for him, it felt like an eternity… an eternity of darkness…

Then, all of a sudden, there was light. Finally he could see again.

"Your friends will be coming to rescue you soon," said the same female voice that spoke to him earlier. Peter turned around the jar to see who it was and saw…

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" the rat animagus squeaked at the top of its voice, as he thought _D-D-DEAR M-M-MERLIN!_

In desperation, Wormtail banged at the transparent glass jar with his small rat paws, but it was all in vain.

His friends were walking right into a trap…

and he was serving as the bait…

**-BREAK-**

(James POV)

"HUR… MMM?!" began a dog-like voice loudly, but soon found his mouth being covered by the hand of his messy-haired friend.

"Shhh… keep it down!" whispered James in a snarl, as they, under the Invisibility Cloak, moved as swiftly and as carefully as they could, down the stairs, checking his watch, which indicated that it was a quarter before five in the morning.

To say that James Potter was angry would be an understatement. The truth was, he was furious… and not at Archer or anyone else for the matter… but at himself…

In their panic the night before, the stag animagus and his dog animagus friend had overlooked something…

_Why hadn't I thought of this? _thought James bitterly, as he scanned the Marauder's Map.

Yes. The Marauder's Map. It gives more or less the exact location of every single person in Hogwarts. It was a handy tool which the Marauders invented. The Map never lies, and the only way for it not to be able to locate a person would be either if the person is not within the Boundaries of Hogwarts, or if it was a place in the castle which the Marauders have not yet explored, and thus have not yet been added to it.

According to the note that Archer sent, the place would be the top of the Astronomy Tower, where they would commence with the exchange…

Apparently, the man plans to double cross them…

James looked at the Map grimly. With it, they will be able to find out the identity of this Archer character. Instead of one of the students, however, Filch and his cat were patrolling the area, and this odd behavior meant that the caretaker must have gotten a tip that someone who was up to no good would be climbing the tower early in the morning…

_Thought you could outsmart us, eh? _thought James to himself with satisfaction.

The two Animagi were now on the third floor, in front of the entrance to the girl's bathroom, where the dot of their Peter was stationed. James could now put two and two together, and he did not like…

Archer, whoever he was, never planned to return their rat animagus friend to them in the first place. He was probably hoping that James and Sirius would go by the letter and go to the Astronomy Tower without wearing the Invisibility Cloak, which would have ended up with them getting caught by Filch, and the Cloak would get confiscated. The worse part however… much, much worse… was Peter's predicament…

Wormtail has been bound, by whatever means, inside a girl's bathroom. Being a mouse at the moment, the reaction that the girls would have when they saw him would have… terrifying consequences…

James and Sirius knew full well that their friend could turn back into human form at any time, but the fact that he hasn't (Confirmed by the fact that Peter's chatbox indicated that he was making squeaking sounds.) meant that to do so would be difficult… Archer probably placed some kind of indestructibility spell, probably an Unbreakable Charm, on the container, as a precaution, and Peter was wise enough to just play along… Yes, Archer was quite the tactician…

_Very clever… very clever indeed… but not good enough… _thought the stag Animagus. Unfortunately for Archer, his plans were about to fall apart…

Double checking the map to make sure that there was no one else inside, James and Sirius entered the bathroom…

"WORMY!" shouted Sirius, as the two removed the Invisibility Cloak from themselves, and ran towards a jar on the floor, which contained a familiar brown mouse…

"Thank Merlin," gasped James in relief, as he opened the jar to let the rat Animagus out, who immediately returned to his human form, looking badly shaken. Fortunately for them, Archer had left Peter near the entrance, probably to give the half-awake girls an early morning, shocking wake-up call… not that that will happen… his plans had now been foiled…

"Alright, Pete, can you tell us what happened?" asked Sirius.

"T-trap… n-need… get…escape…" whimpered their friend weakly, who was sweating heavily.

"Hmmm?" mused James to himself. He could understand why Peter would have been scared out of his wits. After what he had experienced, it was only natural. Still…

"Trap? What do you mean tr…" began Sirius, but his words were drowned as…

SLAM!

The entrance to the bathroom had now shut close…

"Too l-late…" moaned the squeaky voice of the rat Animagus…

"What in the name of…" muttered James, for Peter had returned into his mouse form then hid inside one of Prong's robes, but did not finish his sentence, as…

"Ah… that was nice…" said a female voice.

"A hot bath definitely is the best during a cold morning…" replied another girly voice, as footsteps were

For a split second, James and Sirius froze on the spot… as realization dawned on them… Then…

"Grab the Cloak, Paddy, hurry!" hissed James, keeping his voice as quiet as possible, as the footsteps were getting closer…

"It's not here!" the dog animagus growled back, fear in his eyes…

Panicking, the two Marauders rushed towards the door…

"Why won't it budge?!"

Unfortunately, it refused to open. No matter what they did, even after using all the unlocking charms they knew, the door remained closed, like a solid wall…

"… I'll see you in class th… ?!"

James felt it. The air around them, while already cold, became even chillier than it already was. Knowing there was nothing else for it, as if on reflex, Prongs and Padfoot turned away from the door…

"Black?... Potter?"

There was about twenty of them. Twenty females, who were wearing nothing except for their underwear, each one with a towel around themselves.

Had the situation been different, James would have been sure that he was in heaven. The sweet smell of shampoo filled his nostrils, and fortunately for his friend Sirius, who had a keener sense of smell than many, he would have enjoyed it even more…

"Hey, there girls," said James sheepishly, trying to keep his tone calm and conversational, knowing it won't do any good. He knew it was futile, but it was worth a try. "We were just wondering…"

"KYAAAAAA!"

However, James was no longer able to finish his sentence, as the girls began throwing everything they could get their hands on, their bathing paraphernalla, soap, bathroom mops, etc. at Padfoot and Prongs, Wormtail squirming uncomfortably inside the stag Animagus' pocket…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Yeah, another chapter out.

Yeah, I've been reading the reviews, and someone commented that my use of nasuverse was blasphemous... well, if you're talking about the Tiger Dojo thing, you could say that, though I don't think I did so in too bad a way...

As for the comment about Ilya not having set up her magus workshop, well she has actually. The secret hideout which they found on the fourth floor, as indicated, had seven rooms after all, and as for what's in them... it would be revealed one at a time...

Flu is really persistent, though fortunately I'm recovering thanks to a certain someone... I just hope she doesn't catch it because of me... But enough about that...

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	44. CHAPTER 42

**CHAPTER 42: SIGN OF SCHEMING  
**

(Ilya POV)

"You're acting as if you're her mother, you know," commented a blue-haired girl, as Ilya was gently waving her hand at the retreating back of a certain brown-haired first year.

"Why? I don't see anything wrong with what I'm doing," replied the silver-haired girl, as she and her three companions were eating their breakfast at the Great Hall…

"Hmmp!" pouted Alice. "You sometimes forget to cook meals for us, yet you have never failed making lunch for her everyday… I haven't forgotten how you sold me out to Rose yesterday you know, you traitor…"

"I said I'm sorry didn't I? I just didn't know what else to do," said Ilya pleadingly. "To show that I'm sincere, I'll cook some beef teriyaki for our dinner… will that be enough to earn your forgiveness?"

"Hmmm…" mused the black-haired female, whose face looked serious as if contemplating, before it broke into a smile. "Okay, then… apology accepted…"

"Simpleton," muttered Rose under her breath.

Sev, who was buried in a thick book, took no notice of the exchange, too busy studying.

During their first few days at Hogwarts, Evelyn had always been tagging around Ilya and company whenever she had an opportunity. Whenever she did not have classes, the brown-haired girl, according to her own words, would always look for Ilya and her boyfriend whenever she had free time.

In truth, Ilya could not help but be touched by this fact. The eleven year old had taken a liking, not only of her, but of Sev as well. She had not found them scary or intimidating, and was rather clingy and strongly attached to them (Evelyn's choke-like embrace was testimony to that.). Still…

Ilya knew that she had to put a stop to her habit. While the white-haired girl was pleased with the girl's show of affection, she was afraid that it might end up making her isolated from her classmates. Yes, Evelyn should be hanging out with children of her age. And so she made a deal with her. If Evelyn promised to be a good girl and make many friends and not look for them (the silver-haired girl and company) all the time, Ilya would make lunch for her everyday…

"But you know… much as I hate to admit it… I actually agree with mousy girl here," said Alice suddenly, a mischievous smirk appearing on her face, earning herself a growl from a certain blue-haired individual. "You're acting just like her mother. If you keep this up, Evelyn might just ask her brother to marry you, Ilya."

THUD!

Ilya, as well as Alice and Rose, turned to see what was the cause of the disturbance…

The raven-haired young man had dropped the book he was reading, a stunned expression on his face, apparently caused by the last comment…

"Oh, there's nothing for you to worry about Severus, that's not likely to happen," commented Rose, her voice sounding slightly disappointed. "As far as I can tell, that girl seems to be as equally attached to you as she is to Ilya… She seems to see you two as the perfect couple… though I still can't understand how she could have possibly seen you as a kind and gentle person… I mean, from the logical perspective, you certainly don't fit the image…"

"Too true," added the black-haired former Gryffindor.

"And what do you mean by that?" replied Sev quietly, a badly hidden note of anger in his voice, as a scowl began to form on his face.

_I suppose this could wait,_ sighed Ilya inwardly, as her hand clutched on something fluid-like that was stuffed on the largest pocket of her robes.

The silver-haired girl could not help but watch in amusement, as she sipped on her morning coffee. Ilya actually had a half-mind to join in on the conversation and divert it from the present topic, but decided not to. Rose and Alice seemed to have forged an alliance, with the purpose of teasing her boyfriend. It was a good way to test his patience and ability to withstand psychological attacks after all, for despite all the training she had made Sev undergo through, there are still certain delicate issues in which the raven-haired young man found it hard to keep his temper in check…

**-BREAK-**

(Remus POV)

"… and do not let anyone lend them wands… they are not allowed to use magic… I will send someone else to take your place during your class hours…"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," replied the werewolf, as the Deputy Head Mistress left for the castle, though not before turning back with a warning look, before continuing on her way.

"And don't try and lighten their punishment just because they are your friends… just to make sure I will have Mr. Filch come by here later to check on your progress…"

"Yes, Professor…"

Remus Lupin was deep in thought, as he watched his two friends' attempt to deweed the courtyard with nothing but their hands and a pair of scissors each, in a titanic struggle against the pesky little plants…

Earlier that morning, when Remus Lupin had woken up at around seven, he was amused. It was Wednesday after all, a day when they have no morning classes, and as far as the werewolf remembered, his three Marauders friends had developed the not-exactly-good habit of waking up between nine and eleven in the morning on such days, and it was a normal occurrence. This time however…

They were wide-awake, and seemed busy in conversation, though they seemed to have placed a privacy ward around themselves so they couldn't be overheard. What got Moony's attention, however, was not the fact that they were acting oddly, but the fact that they were injured.

Both Sirius and James looked worse for wear. There were violet spots on their arms, as well as slap and scratch marks on their faces. Peter was rather fortunate, seemingly the least hurt among the three, although despite having lack of physical injuries, he looked more frightened… much more frightened, than usual. Yes, it was worrying. Remus got up, he needed to know what was going on, and what he found out greatly disturbed him…

Peter, apparently, has been abducted by someone who went under the name Archer, apparently to use him as a bargaining chip, in exchange for Prong's Invisibility Cloak.

Remus, upon hearing this at first, felt somewhat hurt and furious. Why couldn't they have told him about it? Wasn't he also their friend? He, like any true comrade, would have done everything in his power to help rescue Wormtail. However, as his three Marauder friends continued with their recap, it was eventually overwhelmed by a great feeling of dread and worry…

This Archer person, whoever he or she was (Peter said that it was a female voice he heard talking, somehow familiar, though he could not tell exactly who it belonged to.), as Remus' three friends learned the hard way, was not someone you would want as your enemy. She was, analyzing the details of his friends' accounts, a schemer and tactician, and a dangerously good one at that. It was a well-planned and well-timed move, and even James and Sirius, who can sniff out even the most well-designed traps, fell for Archer's.

Remus' three friends looked badly beaten, greatly depressed, especially James. During the ordeal, not only had they (except for Peter of course, who cowardly turned back into a rat) been beaten to a pulp by a hoard of angry females, as well as landed themselves a whole week's suspensions (In other words, as punishment, they were not allowed to attend classes, as they will be doing their detention during class hours instead of at night, James and Sirius among the rare few who had 'apparently' done something terrible enough to earn themselves such a rewards), as well as have their parents sent letters telling them of their actions (which was not really a problem for Sirius, though the case was different with James), they had also lost the Invisibility Cloak, which was the Potter family heirloom, the most valuable of James' possession, of which the thief they had no doubt of. But what made Moony worry the most…

Was the fact that the Marauder's Map had failed in its duty.

Even with the aid of the Invisibility Cloak, as well as other forms of spells that renders one impossible or nearly impossible to see, like the Disillusionment Charm, it is actually rendered useless by the Marauder's Map. The Map never lies, and anyone at Hogwarts will always appear on the map, whether they are invisible, Transfigured, or are in animagus form. Yes, even the most powerful concealment spells will not render one unseen from its eyes…

Or so they thought…

For Peter, Sirius and James, perhaps it was the first time it had happened, and were therefore shocked by the turn of events. They were actually beginning to doubt their own genius, thinking that there must be some flaws on it, perhaps the magic on it was weakening.

But for Remus, it wasn't the first time. He knew for sure that it wasn't the case. When Peter told them that Archer might actually be a girl, he already had his suspicion as to her true identity, and when he heard about how the Marauder's Map failed to register the twenty females in an specific area…

The werewolf remembered how his Marauder friends were unable to find him, no matter how much they tried, even by using the map, on that Sunday morning… There was no doubt about it… Archer's true identity…

Whoosh!

Thunk!

Remus was awakened from his thoughts, almost to the point of panic, as an… arrow… an arrow!… just hit the tree under which he was standing, just a few centimeters above his head. Had there been an apple resting there, it would have been a direct hit.

"What the…" gasped Remus, cold sweat pouring down his face, as he felt a chill running down his spine, while he set his sights on the direction which the arrow came from, but perhaps due to the distance, he saw no one.

The projectile had wedged deep, halfway into the tree. Had he made the wrong move at the wrong time, there was the possibility that it would have been impaled through his head instead of wood. Still, it did not seem like the one who shot it had any intent to harm. There was a note attached to the arrow, and it was probably used simply to send a message… a familiar, blue scroll…

Remus plucked out the arrow, and retrieved the piece of paper, which read…

**_To Remus Lupin_**

There werewolf quickly looked around to check if anyone else had noticed, which, thankfully, did not seem to be the case. The only people who were currently in the area were himself, James, Sirius, and the caretaker, Argus Filch, along with his cat, Skittles. The feline seemed to have noticed the arrow, as it was currently staring at the tree were Remus was, but its master was too busy dealing as harshly as legally possible with the werewolf's two Marauder's friends, which made the two too preoccupied with anything else either. Sure that the coast was clear, Moony opened the letter, which was undoubtedly addressed to him, and read silently:

**_To Remus Lupin,_**

**_I assume that by now you have more or less figured out my true identity. You are a clever and intelligent individual after all, and unlike your friends, who only use their brains for petty misdeeds, you use yours when it counts the most. They should have been the ones crying out to the moon, not you._**

At this the werewolf felt a slight twinge of anger, as the words were definitely an insult to his friends, but quickly dropped it when he read the third sentence, and settled back to silently reading the message…

**_Now, as I think you already know, I currently have in my possession an item which belonged to one of your friends. I will tell you now, no matter how much effort anyone place on trying to convince me, I am not giving it back…_**

_So she has James' Invisibility Cloak, _thought Remus bitterly, as he read the lines, pausing for a little while.

In an instant, several thoughts entered his mind on ways to try and convince (or force) the thief to return the Cloak, like informing the teachers about the theft (although that would not exactly be a good thing, as they will discover how the Marauders manage to get away with many of their pranks, as well as freely continue with their illegal nighttime strolls). The Cloak, after all, was not simply a family heirloom, for as far as Moony had seen, James had treated it as if it were a part of himself… And permanently a hand, leg, or any part of your body… based from Prong's reaction to the loss of his Cloak, was not a good feeling. He already had a half-mind to go to Dumbledore's office and report the incident (since he was the teacher who would most likely be able to do something, as well as the one least likely to use the information against them.), but decided to finish reading the letter first before deciding on his next course of action…

**_… for if I were to give it back, it would only be used to assist in bringing more pain and misery to other people, many of whom are undeserving of such harsh treatment. Your friends are cowards who prey on the weak, and in my opinion, are unworthy to even be in Gryffindor. They would go so far as to make anyone, even eleven year old children, miserable, the mental state of some of them almost shattered, their lives almost destroyed, just because they have been Sorted into Slytherin, or simply because your friends were bored and are trying to find some source of entertainment. _**

The werewolf could not help but feel a pang of guilt stab through his gut. He was there. Not once, but many times… so many times in fact that he had lost count. Innocent people becoming victim of pranks which… though he hated to admit… were no longer funny, but cruel, downright cruel… yet he did nothing… he did not like it… yet, despite being a Prefect, for the sake of friendship, turned a blind eye to their actions… all he did was watch and let it happen…

**_They should consider themselves lucky that all the innocent people they victimized who I know about are alive and well. Take my advice, Remus Lupin. I will overlook their actions for the time being, but do your best to keep your friends in line. For if I ever find out that they are off Maraudering innocent people again… and believe me, I will… I will inform the Ministry that there are three unregistered animagus, one rat, one dog, and one stag, running around illegally at Hogwarts, and that will earn them a compulsory, free-of-charge, ten-year-stay at the wonderful zoo called Azkaban… and that's the best they can hope for... I hope I'm making myself clear. It's not a threat. It's a promise. _**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_Archer_**

Upon reading the last lines, Moony could not help but gasp in shock and horror. James' assumption that Archer did not know about them being Animagi was wrong. She knows. Archer knows about them. Remus did not how she managed to, but she knows. She found out about it. And not only does Archer know about the fact that they were Animagi, she also knew the forms they take…

_This isn't good,_ thought the werewolf to himself, as he watched how Padfoot and Prongs tricked Filch into finishing trimming the plant designing for them, by deliberately doing a poor job and then asking him for a demonstration, then letting him do all the work for them.

Still, it was not the fact that Archer knew about their animagus. No, what actually shook the werewolf to his core was…

_"It was not my intention to help you at all... I was merely worried for the safety of the other students at Hogwarts… my objective was simply to eliminate the threat to innocent lives."_

The words rang in Moony's head, making a shiver run down his spine.

For as far as Remus can tell, Archer, who he now knew was the girl Emiya, has just registered the Marauders as among such potential threats…

_Definitely not good…_

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"… and so that's what happened," finished the silver-haired girl, as she took something out of her pocket and held it out, which was then taken by a certain black-haired female, a look of awe on her face.

At around five in the afternoon, once they entered the sanctuary of the room on the fourth floor, Ilya gave a detailed explanation of what she had been up to to her friends. She told them about…well…everything. The anonymous letters…the fact that three out of four of the Marauders (with the exception of the werewolf) was an Animagus, their animal forms, their means to successful pranking… the Map… the Invisibility Cloak… the rat in the jar…

"Amazing…so this is how they do it," muttered Alice, as she looked at herself in a person-sized mirror, only to find no reflection, as her body in the real world also appears as if it has completely vanished.

Earlier that day, Ilya had told Rose and Alice that she had forgotten something important that she had to do, and told them they can proceed with the regular morning laps, promising to catch up later. The other three eyed her suspiciously, one of whom was actually trying to suppress a smirk, while the only male member of the group merely sighed (the other female tried to suppress a growl), but let her run off regardless.

Yes, in truth even Severus was amazed when he first saw it. Having been formerly a welcome guest to the Malfoy Manor, as well as to other Dark Lord Supporters' homes, he had already seen a few of said rare Cloaks. And they were indeed magnificent. The spell that was cast on them was so powerful that it really seems as if the one under it really does become completely undetectable, and yet…

The particular Invisibility Cloak in front of him right now, was different, far different, and far more awestriking, than the ones he had seen. Unlike the Cloaks he had seen before, which were simply blankets or cloth that were imbued with powerful magic, the one which was formerly being used by his hated enemies, was different. It was as if it was water woven into fabric, as if it was Invisibility itself was woven into a cloth, and the look in Ilya's eyes indicated that she was probably having a similar line of thought. And somehow, in a way he couldn't explain, there was definitely a strange feel to it…

Yes, the raven-haired young man had been angry at first. When he first found out that the brown rat was actually Peter Pettigrew, he actually had the impulse to stomp on the thing, for it had confirmed his suspicion as to who was responsible for his foiled ambush attempts on the Marauders in the years gone by, though he managed to control himself (With every last bit of strength he could muster). And when Ilya told him about the Cloak and the Marauder's Map, he could hardly contain his fury. Having things like that was… basically… unfair and very unsporting… well, not that it mattered when it comes to war, specifically, prank wars. Anything goes in battle after all, and it is always best to get your hand on every advantage you can have. Severus Snape could not deny the fact that he too, had never played fairly against the Marauders, though that was probably because of his personal hatred for them.

"Still… you could have told us about it sooner Ilya," said Rose suddenly, with a note of slight hurt in it.

"I feel the same way as Rose," added Alice, whose tone was cheerful, but there was something in it that made it similar to that of the blue-haired female, as she removed the Cloak from herself and handed it Rose for her to try. "We might have been able to do something to help…"

Severus did not voice it out, but he actually felt the same way as them. While Ilya had told him more than she did the other two, she still did not tell him about her plan, until after it has been successfully initiated…

"I'm sorry," replied the silver-haired girl, flushing slightly. "It's just that one person was enough for this particular task. And besides, I don't want to get any of you into trouble. If I get caught, all the blame will fall on me… don't worry… if I really needed help I'll be sure to tell you… for now though…"

The raven-haired young man could not help but sigh, his mind occupied, noticing that the ratio between the number of sighs and scowls he makes everyday seems to be slowly rising to the former's favor.

Having known her well enough, Severus knew that his girlfriend was the kind of person who would go out of her way to help others, by whatever means she deemed necessary. Whenever there was a task that had to be done, she always seemed to go for carrying the lion share of the pain and burden… no… she actually tries to carry the entire burden all by herself… Ilya has the tendency to try and do everything by herself…

And Severus Snape was not happy about it…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

Ilya had now taken out a piece of parchment and shown it to her friends...

"What is it?" asked Alice, eyeing the parchment suspisciously.

"It's a map," replied the silver-haired girl. "A map which shows the location of every single person in Hogwarts… whether you are in the Great Hall… in a classroom… or even when you're taking a bath… it allows to see anyone and everyone, whatever it is they are doing… "

"The Marauder's Map?" inquired Rose. "But I thought…"

"No, it's not," replied Ilya with a smirk. "I may have gotten the idea from it, but yes, I suppose you could say that mine is an improved version of it… It's still just in the layout stage though. I have no intention of using a parchment for my map… "

_"Trace…on…"_

Severus had now guessed that the seemingly blank piece of parchment that James Potter carried around with him was definitely the Marauder's Map. Ilya's own map was still quite similar to it… except that it was around five times its size, the size of a small writing board…

"Layout or not, it is impressive…" whispered Rose, as the map of Hogwarts appeared on the parchment, with moving dots indicating the location of every single person in the castle.

"I know you already told us what it is for… but this is just" muttered Alice, as she held it up in her hand for a closer inspection "… no wonder they hardly get into trouble with the teachers… I mean, they get caught only when they wanted to get caught… There's Professor McGonagall walking down the Grand Staircase… There's Peeves …probably trying to make Myrtle Cry again… not that he needs to, she's crying most of the time… and there's Evan Rosier entering through the Hogwarts g…"

"WHAT?!" shouted Severus suddenly, grabbing the map from the black-haired female's grasp.

"HEY!"

"Evan Rosier?" inquired Rose, looking puzzled at their reaction. "Who is that?"

"He's a Slytherin seventh year," gasped Alice. Judging from the fact that her voice did not have its usual fun demeanor, she seemed to have come to a realization.

"As well as one of those who eagerly ran to join the Dark Lord on the 31st of August," added the raven-haired young man, which made the blue-haired girl gasp, before her surprise turned into alertness, her red eyes narrowed, as he placed the map in such a way so that all four of them could get a good view…

Severus could not help but feel tense and nervous, as he, Ilya, Rose and Alice, watched as more people… around twenty of them… entered the gate… more than half of whom he recognized… He was formerly a member of the House of Serpents after all… and all he saw that were familiar, were among those who got sent plummeting into an underground river...

Suddenly, Severus felt a chill and nervousness which has nothing to do with what he had just seen...

"Just as I suspected," said Ilya quietly, yet it was filled with a cold fury that can make one feel as if they are about to be burnt and frozen alive at the same time, said emotions reflected in her emerald eyes, devoid of their normal warmth and cheerfulness...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out people.

Yeah, thank goodness my fever's gone... only the damn yucky green stuff remains to be... well, I suppose I should stop, just in case there are those among you who are eating or drinking coffee while you read through this site.

Anyway, the only downside is that it transferred. Yes, indeed, it transferred to someone else. And I'm not really happy about it. Now, instead of being the one taken care of, I'm the one taking care of someone... add that to the lot of things I have to do and... well, I just hope I don't get sick again cause of it. Hey, it's not that I regret taking care of her. When it comes to priorities, she's on top of my list of course, and she was patient with me when I was in the same predicament just a couple of days ago, not to mention that I'm to blame for her catching it.

Anyway, that's just me blabbing to relieve my stress. When you're sick, it's difficult straight. When you have to do multi-tasking, add the fact that you're the one worrying about someone... and you end up with the same result... Still, I'd rather be healthy than sick, and I'll make sure she recovers quickly.

Like always... I hope you enjoy this chapter... I'll try and update this as often as I can, though the best I can promise is that I'll at least update once a week...

Later then, people...


	45. CHAPTER 43

**CHAPTER 43: MESSENGER**

**Unknown Location**

(Voldemort POV)

"You have done well, Augustus," said a high, cold voice, belonging to one who was currently sitting comfortably on a couch.

"Th-thank my Lord," replied the man, taking a bow, before leaving.

The Dark Lord was pleased, as he had not been in a long time. After the humiliation he had experienced during the 31st of August, even he, the greatest wizard in existence, had been unsure of his position.

He had been played, and he knew it. No matter how much Voldemort did not want to accept it, it was reality, and he was defeated. At the time he was incredibly angry, outraged at the fact. Yet now, his anger has disappated, and he was actually (somehow, for one who only cares for himself) grateful for what happened, for it serves as a reminder, a lesson, that one should never be too sure with himself or too overconfident. It was the elementary mistake which many of his Death Eaters make, and he had warned them about it, punished them with a Cruciatus whenever they fail because of it, even. Yet, Lord Voldemort, he himself, too, had committed that exact same blunder. He had too much and overconfidence, which led him to underestimate the girl in front of him. And because of this he became, decadent, complacement, and it had cost him dearly.

Upon hearing about what happened, Fenrir Greyback and his werewolves had defected from his cause, and it was a great loss at the time, for all in all their numbers comprised about a quarter of Voldemort's entire army, and it made the Dark Lord furious. He immediately ordered his Death Eaters to hunt down the werewolves. However, he soon recalled them just a couple of minutes from announcing the mission, for he realized that there were more important things to take care of.

Instead, he made them focus all their efforts on recruitment. He sent envoys to the giants, to the vampires, to the goblins and to all the wizarding families and other magical creatures existing in Europe. Then, he himself went out to do some recruiting personally. And from one of these personal expeditions, the Dark Lord got an inspiration.

In one of the homes of the wizards who had accepted to join his cause (They agreed to help him financially but did not want to join the actual battle, though Voldemort decided to agree to it without doing any bewitching or additional threats, seeing as the man would indeed be more useful that way. And if he ever defected or betrayed the Dark Lord, well, he and his family would be killed.), the Dark Lord saw a book: it was a book on the Trojan war.

Yes, he had read the story before, but had not given it much thought as it was a boring, trivial, insignificant story, which was more Muggle than wizard in nature. Yet, Lord Voldemort could not help but laugh... a high, cold, cruel, laugh, as he recalled the details of the epic... for it had given him a great idea…

_The Trojan Horse..._

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"Ilya, are you alright?" inquired a male voice.

"Mmmm…" nodded ilya, as she continued munching on her sausage waffle, though judging from the look on her boyfriend's face, he wasn't convinced.

It was Thursday morning, the sixteenth of September. Ilya and her friends were currently in the Great Hall having breakfast. It was just another normal start to another normal day at Hogwarts… except for the mixed feelings of dread, confusion, tenseness, disbelief, and outrage that currently filled the air.

And this was due to the fact that twenty of the students, all Slytherins, who had decided to discontinue their journey to Hogwarts and gone off to join Lord Voldemort, were once again among them.

Many of the students, with the exception, of course, of Slytherins, were complaining, grumbling amongst themselves, as to why the 'traitors,' after their 'desertion,' were even allowed to return Hogwarts. While the silver-haired girl could hardly contain a snort at these comments (since most of them saw the members of the House of Serpents in a bad light anyway, even those who were glaringly decent people, just because they were members of the particular House), she does agree that they were a grave threat.

The night before, a letter from Rufus, addressed to Ilya and Severus, were handed over to them by Evelyn. The four people, having brought food and drinks with them to the fourth floor, did not have to go down to the Great Hall for dinner, and as the owls could not find them (which was a good sign, since it meant that the security measure was working), his sister delivered it directly to them instead, and the letter only further confirmed her suspicions.

According to Scrimgeour, the students who were returning to Hogwarts had strong political backing, because of their high status, pureblood families, and each one of the returning students also had relatives who were members of the Wizengamot (Wizard High Court).

And it was undoubtedly due to their influence that there was nothing anyone could do to stop them from coming back to school. Over two weeks had passed, and information related to the Hogwarts train incident, while not being publicized in news articles, had already more or less spread throughout the wizarding community, especially since the students were bound to have owled their parents on all that had happened. The only reason why things remained quiet, including the part which involved Ilya directly, was probably because no one wants to risk putting their careers or lives (their loved ones and their own) in danger (The threat could be either from Voldemort or from those against him in the Ministry.), and thus preferred to remain neutral, keeping their opinions to themselves. And while Ilya, due to the friendship she and Sev have with Scrimgeour (who was a greatly trusted subordinate by the Head Auror Richard Parker, who in turn was a trusted and esteemed friend and confidant by the Minister of Magic, Ronald Dreamweaver), was able to utilize this kind of advantage…

It was natural that there were others, and there were many in Voldemort's rank, who can as well, and use it they did. According to Scrimgeour, as an insurance, an order from the Hogwarts Board of Governors, stating that the students are to be allowed to enter Hogwarts was secured, which, in Ilya's opinion, was a wise tactical move, for it would prevent any attempt to of opposition, probably especially Albus Dumbledore. For while the old man was still chatting cheerfully and normally at the teacher's table, Ilya could tell that it was just a façade.

And thus the school was in its current predicament. Twenty potentially dangerous threats had been allowed to enter Hogwarts… no, they weren't potential threats… they were threats.

For they were like scouts, an advanced party, sent out to spy and investigate the enemy territories and defenses. The silver-haired girl had no doubt in her mind that this meant that the Dark Lord was planning to try and take over Hogwarts in the future, and that, in all angles, is definitely not good.

_I must find a way to expose them, _thought the silver-haired girl, as she drank a cup of hot cocoa. Yet she knew just how difficult that would be. For the fact that these students joined the Dark Lord, yet had sufficient influence to make the Ministry ignore their actions completely…

It means that whatever they did, it had to be something so significantly relevant, and with too concrete evidences about it, that even their influence would be rendered useless…

Ilya knew that they will eventually make a move… but for now, while waiting for that time to come…

"Sev…Alice… Rose…"

"Hmmm?"

"Would you guys mind skipping your classes for today? There is something really important I need to discuss with you…"

**-BREAK-**

(Dumbledore POV)

Albus Dumbledore was not pleased. For the past couple of decades, ever since the retirement of Armando Dippet, he had taken the position of Headmaster, and had done his utmost to not only to maintain the quality of education, but also in ensuring the safety of the castle's occupants, especially the students'. He has already done what he could for this matter even when he was still the Transfiguration professor, and when he became Headmaster, he decided to take his steps further. He did all he could within his power to enforce laws and policies which would further increase their protection.

Yet now, a grave threat has entered the school and even though he was the Chief of the Wizengamot, as well as the Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

In truth, when the students arrived, escorted by two of the members of the Board of Governors, he wanted to protest, he wanted to deny them their right in coming back to the school. He knew that this was normally not a correct notion from a teacher's point of view, yet accepting them compromise the very safety of the inhabitants of the castle. There was no doubt as to why they were sent back to Hogwarts after all: to do Lord Voldemort's bidding. It was a plot, and Dumbledore would not be surprised if it turns out that their objective was to take control of the school. Yet he could do nothing.

For if he protested, there was a possibility for him to get suspended from duty or even removed as Headmaster. The returning students after all had powerful family backgrounds, and they have sufficient power to pressure the school governors to do what they want. He cannot allow them any grounds to have him removed, for if he was forced to leave Hogwarts, it would badly affect the security and well-being of the students, especially those who are Muggleborns, who are not of magical decent.

The Headmaster had tried using Legilimency on some of the students, yet for some reason, he could not see anything that was related to Tom Riddle. If not for the fact that he was an expert, he might have overlooked the strange feeling which he got while probing. The students' thoughts were undoubtedly under the protection of a spell, most probably an Unbreakable Vow, to never reveal certain information, which meant that even Verisaterum, the most powerful truth potion, would be useless. The Unbreakable Vow is a very powerful spell, especially when it comes to concealing information, and it can be used to ward off even the most powerful mind readers. Had Dumbledore been less than the skilled Legilimens that he was, as well as the fact that he had experience with this kind of mind block before, he would not have been able to know, and would have simply assumed that they were innocent.

He had already called for a meeting with all of the teachers, telling them to be on their guard and be watchful of the movements of students, especially the twenty returnees, as well as the rest of the Slytherins. The teachers, who like him, cared for their students agreed. If it was at all possible to convince and prevent them from doing anything, that would only make the Headmaster too happy. Even if they were being coerced by the Dark Lord, they were still just young people, with a future ahead of them, and if they can be turned from the path of darkness, so much the better. Still...

Dumbledore knew it was not enough. He had done everything he can, yet when the immediate threat or problem was something he cannot see and identify, he was not sure if he will be able to ensure everybody's safety. He needed help.

He had actually contemplated on having some members of the Order of the Phoenix go to Hogwarts, but none of them had any time to spare, occupied with their regular work, as well as their Order duties, which were crucial to the struggle against Tom Riddle. Also, if someone like Alastor was discovered to have another affiliation, he would be fired from being an Auror.

"Fawkes," whispered the Headmaster, as he faced an empty perch in his office. In an instant, a magnificent, flaming orange bird appeared in a burst of song and flash of bright light.

"Could you please keep it down?" complained one of the portraits of previous Headmasters. "I'm trying to get some sleep here…"

"Of course, Phineas, I'm sorry for the disturbing your sleep," answered Dumbledore sincerely, though he knew full well that the portrait of the man was wide awake and was only pretending to sleep.

"You always say that, yet you never do keep it down... and a lot of people say you are a man of your words... man of his words my ass," replied the former Headmaster sarcastically, before returning to pretending trying to fall asleep. This time, the silver-bearded Headmaster ignored him.

"Fawkes," said Dumbledore to the phoenix quietly, as he gently stroke the bird. "I need you to deliver a message for me…"

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

_ "Wingardium Leviosa!"_

A wooden sword rose a few feet into the air.

"I DID IT!" cried a female voice happily. "DID YOU SEE THAT?"

"Well done," said a silver-haired girl, smiling slightly.

"Did you see that?" repeated Alice, as she looked at the blue-haired girl beside her. "I never would have thought it was actually…"

_"Silencio!"_ said another female voice suddenly, making the talking black-haired female stopped, as she realized that her voice was no longer coming out.

"Hey, that was mean Rose!" pouted Alice, as Ilya removed the jinx on her. "Why did you use a Silencing spell on me?"

"'Cause you're too noisy and annoying me," came the casual reply of the blue-haired girl, which made the other female scowl. The two stared at each other, like two cats who were about to tear each other apart, and they probably would have done so, had a silver-haired female not interrupted them.

"Restrain yourselves," said Ilya, her voice cold and monotonous, yet with a commanding aspect to it, for the two immediately turned their attention back to the silver-haired girl, who took a deep breathe before beginning to speak talking…

"Do not forget the steps, and the feel of it," said Ilya. "You can follow the same steps for any spell you want to cast without a wand. And the more you practice, the faster you will be at casting it..."

It was now ten o'clock in the morning. Ilya seemed to have thought that it would be a nice idea to take the day off from classes. At first, Severus was confused as to why someone like her (who was a diligent student type) would even think of suggesting such an action, and now her objective was clear to see. She was going to begin teaching her two female friends their kind of magic. In fact, she had probably been thinking of doing so eventually, yet the return of certain students to their school seemed to have made her decide to no longer postpone it. Ilya probably wanted her friends to be prepared for what could be coming.

Yes, the returning students were undoubtedly among the Dark Lord's followers, and Ilya probably wanted to teach her friends, for them to become stronger, so that they can defend themselves in case anything happens (though from Severus can tell, based on what he had seen them do, they were pretty good at it already). Still…

Severus could not help but smile as he watched his girlfriend (Severus was temporarily resting from his sword practice), who was currently instructing their other two friends. She had already taught them about the two forms of magical energy, mana and od, and how to manipulate it, which they seemed to have learned quickly. Yes, she was definitely a good teacher. However...

_Now comes the hard part,_ sighed Severus inwardly, feeling nervous, as he saw Ilya pull out two red gemstones from her pocket.

The silver-haired girl was planning to teach her friends about her kind of magic, but before that, she will first have to tell them what it is, its history, and what it is like. And Severus did not know how Alice and Rose would react, when Ilya tells them that 'to be a magus means to walk with death'.

"Before we resume there is something that you two need to know," began the silver-haired girl, a serious look on her face. "I am not… HUH?!"

For a split second, the black-haired girl and the blue-haired female had confused expression on their face, wondering why Ilya suddenly had a surprised and worried look on her face, but then...

A burst of orange light suddenly filled the chamber, along with a melodious sound.

_What in the name of Merlin?_ thought Severus Snape to himself, who had not felt anything off, as he closed his eyes…

"By the Root," the raven-haired young man heard Ilya mutter.

Severus opened his eyes, and gasped at what he saw. It was an orange bird, similar to a swan, except that this one was much more beautiful, with a long magnificent tail, gently flapping its wings to keep itself airborne, which seemed to emit gentle heat with every movement…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Not much to say here though, though I must say I'm rather surprised with the last review. Boy, I sure am glad that I did not post my real name here... would have really sucked for me... big time. Man, I never thought I'd get a death threat just because they don't like some of my ideas... Well, I always got death threats when I trash talk while playing World of Warcraft, but hey, I didn't expect to get one here at fanfiction.

Well anyway, my work really is piling up now. It's such a drag, and a problem too, so like I said before, all I can promise is that I'll try and update at least once a week... and that's 'try,' with the number of things I have to right now, I'm not so sure... but enough about that...

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later, then, people...


	46. CHAPTER 44

**CHAPTER 44: IDEALIST AND REALIST**

(Ilya POV)

"I'm back," said a female voice, as she entered the room on the fourth floor, sounding cheerful.

"So how did it go, Ilya?" inquired a black-haired girl named Alice.

It was now one o'clock in the afternoon, three hours since the bird, which according to Alice, was Dumbledore's pet phoenix, Fawkes came to visit them.

_Flashback_

_As suddenly as it had come, the glowing orange bird vanished in a flash of bright light, leaving a glowing feather and a note in it wake, which the silver-haired girl picked up, reading it carefully, before handing it to her boyfriend. _

_The raven-haired young man took the note and read:_

**_Ms. Emiya_**

**_Please come to my office once your classes are finished. There is an important matter which I would like to discuss with you._**

**_Albus Dumbledore_**

**_P.S. I enjoy eating Sherbet Lemon_**

_"It seems like the Headmaster wanted to talk with me about something," said Ilya, with a frown on her face._

_End of Flashback_

"Are you alright, Ilya?" inquired a worried male voice. "What did Dumbledore want to talk about? Did he ask y…"

"Don't worry Sev, I'm fine," the silver-haired girl. "The Headmaster just wanted to give me this." And she handed over a note to him…

"You are hereby authorized to … but this is…" gasped Sev, taking his eyes off the note and looking at his girlfriend, undoubtedly surprised at what he was reading.

"Hey, give me that," said Alice, as she took the piece of parchment from the raven-haired young man's hand, reading it, before reacting in almost exactly the same way…

"Merlin, Ilya," she said, with a note of surprise, handing the note over to Rose, who also ended up reacting in a similar manner…

Their reactions were only to be expected. It could, after all, be one of the greatest blessings a Hogwarts student can hope for…

It was a letter, signed by the Hogwarts Headmaster himself, which gives students certain advantages that many would wish to have. It was a pass which granted unlimited access to any and all resources in Hogwarts, the potions storage, the library (including the Restricted Section), as well as giving the priveledge to walk around freely at night, without fear of getting caught for breaking the rules. And also...

"Does this mean that we no longer have to attend classes Ilya?" inquired Rose quietly.

"Yes, although it is on the condition that we make sure to do well on our O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s ," replied the silver-haired girl conversationally.

"Sweet," said Alice, who could not help but whistle.

"Still, I doubt that is all there is to it," said the raven-haired young man, who was looking skeptical and suspicious, a scowl forming on his face. "Tell us, Ilya, what does Dumbledore want in return for this?"

_You really are perceptive, aren't you Sev?_ thought Ilya to herself, as she locked eyes with her boyfriend, who was undoubtedly determined to get to the bottom of things.

Yes indeed, the priviledge does indeed come with a price...

The silver-haired girl took a deep breath, before opening her mouth to explain the situation…

**-BREAK-**

(Dumbledore POV)

The old headmaster was sitting on his headmaster's chair in his office, deep in thought.

Albus had sent Fawkes, his phoenix friend, to deliver a message to a certain silver-haired girl who went by the name Ilyasveil von Eiznbern-Emiya. It was not much really, just a letter asking the girl for a chat. And in just a little while, the girl had arrived at his office. Although the Headmaster was prepared, she came by much earlier than expected.

_Flashback_

_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

_"Enter."_

_"You called for me, Professor Dumbledore?" inquired someone with female voice, entering the Headmaster's office._

_"Ah, Ms. Emiya," said Dumbledore, as he saw that it was the silver-haired Ravenclaw. "Please take a seat." The Headmaster gestured to the one of the two chairs situated in fron of his desk._

_"Thank you, sir," replied the girl, as she elegantly took her seat._

_The Headmaster then offered her what he had available in his office which were: sweets. Lemon drops, Cockroach Clusters, Lollilipops, although for some reason she refused every single one._

_"… yes, Minerva... oh, sorry, that is Professor McGonagall to you," Dumbledore was saying. "She actually warned me to tone down on the sweets, seeing as how old I am, but there are some habits that people simple cannot seem to let go of... and this happen to be one of mine…"_

_"Please cut to the chase Professor," said Emiya suddenly, cutting the Headmaster off, a note of irritation in her voice. "I know you did not call me here just to talk about your eating habits…"_

_A moment of silent passed..._

_"Very well then, Ms. Emiya," began Dumbledore, realizing that his charade was not working. "I want to ask you a few questions…"_

_End of Flashback_

Yes. The Emiya girl was perceptive, and straightforward… very much so. Apparently she was the kind of person who want to get straight answers, and seemed to dislike those who beat around the bush. Noticing this, the Headmaster decided to ask his questions directly. And therefore he did so one at a time. First, Dumbledore asked her about August 3, the Diagon Alley and the Evans residence incidence. Then, he asked her about the Hogwarts Express incident and her version of what happened. Instead of answering, however...

_Flashback_

_"I refuse to answer your query, Professor Dumbledore," said Emiya coldly. "For I find it quite unnecessary."_

_"And why do you find it unnecessary Ms. Emiya?" inquired the Headmaster, his voice becoming less cheerful._

_"Because you already have the answers you seek for your questions," replied the silver-haired girl bluntly. "Therefore, there is no need for me to answer. Whatever information you will receive from me will probably be the same as the one you acquired from your other reliable informants."_

_End of Flashback_

It should not have come as a surprise. Emiya, after all, had been able to play a game of words with Lord Voldemort and prevail, yet the old man still could help but be mildly shocked at the girl's calculative methods, as well as her way with words. She was much younger than he was, yet the way she talked, it was as if she was addressing, not a superior, but someone who was on an even playing field with her. And not only that, after evading Dumbledore's questions, Emiya actually had the nerve to fire away her own set. Instead of the Headmaster interoggating his student, the student was able to turn the tables on him…

_Flashback_

_"Why didn't you stop them…" asked the silver-haired girl quietly._

_"Ms. Emiya," began Dumbledore, but the girl ignored him._

_"…why did you allow them back into the castle, knowing full well the danger they pose? Why did you not do anything about it? And now… let me guess… you want me to help keep an eye on them, am I right? Very well, but I have conditions…"_

_End of Flashback_

Even for someone of Albus Dumbledore's caliber, it was still unnerving. The silver-haired girl had taken control of the entire conversation. The moment she found an opening, she took it, and did not let go of her momentum. The situation actually reminded the old Headmaster of the times when he had a friendly chat with an old friend, Nicholas Flamel, who happened to be hundreds of years older than he was. There was no way for Emiya to be older than sixteen, yet from the way she talked, it was as if she had centuries' worth of experience, especially in the conversation aspect.

In the end, it was Albus Dumbledore who surrendered, settling for the bargain which the girl had set. He had, after all, called for her for that reason in particular. The girl was sharp, and accurately predicted the headmaster's purpose, which gave her the opportunity to head him off at every twist and turn the conversation could end up sent into, and thus prevented him from attempting to leech any information out of her. Yes, Dumbledore could not deny that that was indeed one of his objectives, and he had not succeeded at it. Still...

It was not as if it was all that bad. The girl, although with a set of conditions, had agreed to help without asking for anything more, and her requests in exchange for her assistance actually made the old headmaster feel rather relieved. He knew that Emiya (a.k.a Archer) seemed to have the tendency for playing pranks on people (just like the Marauders), and Dumbledore, based on gut feeling, actually had a suspicion that she had something to do with the little bathroom incident in which James Potter and Sirius Black were allegedly caught peeping on girls, locked together with twenty angry females before their remains were sent to Professor McGonagall, who unfortunately, gave the two Marauders the same courtesy the girls did, and as it seemed to be the right thing to do, all evidences rock solid, Dumbledore could not deny the Deputy Headmistress' request to have the two pranksters suspended.

Yes it had been settled, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, in exchange for some trivial priviledges, would help assist in spying and monitoring on the movements of the twenty returning students, who had undoubtedly returned to castle on the Dark Lord's orders, to prevent them from causing harm to the rest of the Hogwarts population. Things, though not exactly going according to plan, were as fine as they can ever be.

However, Dumbledore could not help but feel nervous and unsettled, at the final exchange of words he had with Emiya, before she took her leave from his office.

_Flashback_

_"… so now that we have that settled," said Dumbledore, as he saw the girl looking at the piece of parchment in her hand with a pleased expression on her face. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?"_

_"No… wait… I suppose there is…" replied Emiya, pocketing the piece of parchment, before looking at the Headmaster straight in the eyes, emerald ones on blue. "Professor Dumbledore… have you ever killed anyone before?"_

_The temperature of the room suddenly seemed to drop a degree at the question._

_"I seem to have misheard you," said the Hogwarts Headmaster, the twinkle disappearing from his eyes. "Could you please repeat your question, Ms. Emiya?"_

_A few moments of silence passed, and then…_

_"It seems that I have overestimated you, Professor," sighed the silver-haired girl, sounding disappointed. "You don't smell of blood… I guess that means you've never killed anyone."_

_End of Flashback_

Dumbledore was shocked by the girl's question. Moreover, he was further electrified by Emiya's declaration. How could she have known? How could the girl possibly tell that he had not killed anyone? Indeed, the old Headmaster had never killed any of his adversaries. No, he had done so at any point in his life, had never taken a man's life, except perhaps for one instant, and that time he wasn't even sure if he was the one who did it, and had it been the case, it would have been purely by accident. Despite his powers and achievements, even during his epic duel with Gellart Grinderlwald, Albus Dumbledore had never, not even once, tried to take the life of a person, no matter how evil or how deserving they might be, having always believed in second chance and redemption. Yet the girl…

_Flashback_

_"What exactly are you implying, Ms. Emiya?" the Headmaster's voice was now cold, and rising._

_"I'm not trying to imply anything," replied Emiya honestly. "By the way, do you want to hear a story Professor?"_

_The Headmaster did not speak, which the girl seemed to have taken as a yes, as she took a deep breathe and began telling her tale…_

_"There was once a wizard, who was using magic to scare and steal money from an innocent lady," began the silver-haired girl. "Another wizard saw what was happening and attempted to put a stop to it. Caught in wrongdoing, the hooligan engaged his pursuer in a magical duel, even trying to kill him, but lost. In the end, knowing he was outgunned and outclassed, the man pleaded for his life, promising never to hurt anyone again. Feeling pity for the one kneeling on the ground, the other wizard spared his life and let him go free."_

_The girl paused, but seemed to be waiting for a response. Seeing this, Dumbledore decided to play along… how he wished that he hadn't._

_"So is that the end of your story, Ms. Emiya?" asked the headmaster. Predictably, the girl shook her head._

_"Unfortunately, it is not," sighed the silver haired girl. "A few days later, the wizard once again ran into the man he spared, though this time, he was dead, another wizard standing over him. Angered, he was about to pull out his wand when the other man suddenly cried out! 'THIS IS FOR MY WIFE AND CHILDREN!' Soon, the wizard found out that the man he spared a few days ago, went out, robbed, and killed, a total of twenty people, including the family of the man in front of him. The merciful wizard could not help but blame himself… had he killed the man in the first place, none of it would have happened… and thus, ends my story."_

_The headmaster remained silent, as he realized what the girl was trying to tell him. But then… he was even more brought to unease as the girl continued talking._

_"I am not like you Professor," declared the silver-haired girl. "For unlike you, I am prepared to do what I deem necessary to protect as many people as I possibly can. I have my resolve, yet you… despite your superior abilities, I do not see any coming from you… you are torn, torn between your useless morals and doing what is necessary, and it is for that very reason that you will fail… you cannot protect everyone… yet with the way you are acting… I doubt you would be able to protect anyone at all… and you will probably be the cause of many more people getting hurt, even though it could have been prevented…" _

_"I will do as you wish and merely act as an observer for the time being like you want… but if ever there are any casualties, do not blame me for you indecision…"_

_Dumbledore could not help but stare at the girl, as she left his office. Despite being a wise old man, he was speechless…_

_End of Flashback_

The old Headmaster could not help but think about the girl and her words, as he sat alone in his office. It wasn't easy. A part of him was telling him that the path she was taking was absolutely wrong, and she had to be guided away from it. The girl, while undoubtedly a good person at heart, viewed things from the wrong perspective. And yet, another part of him was screaming at him, telling him that the girl was absolutely right, and that he, Dumbledore, had been the one going about things the wrong way…

"Kill one to save ten... kill ten to save a hundred... a hundred to save a thousand?" muttered Dumbledore under his breath, as he recalled what the Sorting Hat had told him. "Is this really how you lived your life, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya?"

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

Ilya had just finished giving her friends a shortened version of what she and the headmaster had agreed upon. In return for the extra conveniences they were receiving, they were expected to give Dumbledore a detailed report on suspicious activities around the school, particularly giving extra attention to the recently arrived students (for obvious reasons).

"So, how are we going to go about it, Ilya?" inquired a raven-haired young man, as the two other females seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Do you have some sort of plan? Is there anything we can do to help?"

"No, I've got it covered, don't worry," said Ilya cheerfully. "With this."

"What is it?" asked Alice curiously, as a butterfly landed on the tip of her finger.

"It's a familiar," replied the silver-haired girl conversationally. "I have hundreds of these scattered all over school, and I am able to see through their eyes. In other words, I can see what they see…"

"Amazing," commented Rose in a quiet voice, realizing the implications.

"And we also have this map," added Ilya, holding up the piece of parchment which shows every square inch of located areas in the school. "Overall, we have everything taken care of."

"You mean you have it taken care of," sulked a male voice.

"Sev?" inquired Ilya, as she noticed the bitterness in her boyfriend's voice.

"Why do you always go out and do everything by yourself?" asked the raven-haired young man exasperatedly. "Can't you see that you're not alone? We're here you know. Rose is here. Alice is here. I'm here! You are not alone!"

"I know that," said the silver-haired girl, after a moment of silence.

"You sure don't act like it," said Severus with a sneer. "Tell me Ilya, how exactly have I been of any help to you, hmmm?"

"Severus!" shot Rose warningly, but the former Slytherin did not give a damn, as he continued glaring.

"Sev," said Ilya gently as she approached the raven-haired young man. "Do you hate me? For always leaving you in the dark? Do you hate me now?"

"Of course not," said the raven-haired young man, his voice tinged with guilt, as he saw that his girlfriend was on the verge of tears. "It's just…"

"Just WHAT?" asked Ilya, shouting out the last word, as tears began flowing through her eyes. "Tell me, Sev. Did I do something wrong? TELL ME!"

"IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEVER ASK HELP FOR ANYTHING!" roared Severus, unable to control his pent-up emotions any longer. "I PROMISED TO PROTECT YOU, TO DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO HELP YOU… YET THE WAY THINGS ARE… ALL I CAN REALLY DO IS STAY BY YOUR SIDE AND NOTHING MORE! I FEEL SO GODDAMN USELESS!"

"YOU'RE NOT USELESS!"

"THEN TELL ME, HOW AM I NOT USELESS?! HOW EXACTLY AM I HELPING YOU?!"

Suddenly, the silver-haired girl launched herself at the raven-haired young man, and held him in her arms.

"By staying here… by my side," said the silver-haired girl softly, tears flowing down her eyes.

It was a simple sentence. A simple, honest declaration, straight from Ilya's heart, as Severus felt all the negative emotions he had been feeling wash away from him, tears now flowing down his own eyes, as he returned the embrace.

Yes, in the past few days, Severus could not help but feel insecure. Ilya had always been trying to carry the burden, to do everything by herself. She had always told him of what she was up to, yet she had never asked for his help, and the raven-haired young man could not help but feel hurt because of it. He was no longer sure if his presence held any real value at all. Yet now…

He realized just how wrong he was. The fact that he was there. The very fact that he was there by her side… for her, it had been enough. It was all she was asking from him, yet he was almost blinded, and nearly failed to realize this simple fact… While it did not mean that Severus approved of her doing everything by herself… even if she did not ask him for anything, there was one thing, one very simple thing that he could…

To support her, no matter what…

"Ilya…I'm so sorry," said Severus sincerely, guiltility, as he tightened his hold on Ilya, never wanting to let go.

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"I still think you should break up with him, Ilya," said Alice, looking at a certain man with raven hair coldly. "I honestly thought you were different Severus, but I guess I was wrong… you really are a jerk…"

"I agree with Alice," said Rose, her voice also cold, looking at him with an icy expression. "Or you should at least demand some compensation for what he did… like paying the bills for the next Hogsmaede weekend or something like that…"

"H-hey," said Sev nervously, as the two females, holding wooden weapons in their hands, were advancing upon him.

"That won't be necessary," said Ilya, her voice cheerful once again. "After all, I am also partly at fault… and when it comes right down to it… I've been holding things from you as well, and for that, I'm really sorry." The silver-haired girl bowed her head in apology.

"There's no need for you to apologize, Ilya," said the blue-haired girl, looking a little embarrassed, as she turned away from the raven-haired young man's direction. "I mean, it's only natural to keep some things to yourself." At this Rose seemed to look slightly guilty.

"That may be true," said Alice calmly. "But what about that jerk over there?"

"Hey!" shouted the raven-haired young man, who had now began practicing sword swings to release more of his pent-up vexation (or maybe just grabbed a sword as a precaution against the angry women, who knows).

"He's not a jerk," said Ilya happily but firmly (_Well, maybe just a bit of a jerk,_ added the silver-haired girl in her thoughts.). Even though she had just been crying, it was a great relief on her part to find out the reason he had seemed rather distant in the past few days. Sev's love for her had not changed… In fact, his feelings for her had become even stronger, so strong, to the point that he had become restless and insecure with being unable to do anything for her, and the silver-haired girl could not help but feel touched by that fact.

It took a while for things to calm down, though fortunately it finally has. Now, however…

"Rose, Alice," said Ilya, turning her tone into monotonous form. "Do you still have the jewels I gave you a while ago?"

"Yes." said the two in unison, as they brought out the red gemstones they had kept in their pockets.

"Before I begin," said Ilya seriously, as the room had become eerily quiet, for Sev had stopped swinging his wooden sword and was now focusing his attention on them. "There is something I need to tell you… For you see, I am not really a witch…"

"I'm a magus…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright... Another chapter out...

Well, I must admit it's getting really difficult to write. Work and schoolwork is already playing a major role, as well as the temptation of other forms of entertainment. Now, another one which added to my problems is that fact that a number of fanfic ideas have now entered my mind. I listed them down on a word document of course, just to make sure I do not forget, and unfortunately these ideas have also been ogling at me for me to give them their as multi-anime fan I guess.

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy my fic and this chapter.

Later then, people...


	47. CHAPTER 45

**CHAPTER 45: SWORD**

(Severus POV)

"Grrr… you weren't kidding when you said that, were you, Ilya?" grumbled Alice, who was still wincing in pain, having her Magic Circuits forced open . "It really hurts…"

"That is to be expected, I did warn you about it after all," said Ilya, who was trying to sound monotonous as a teacher should, but the slight break in her voice gave her worry away. "Though I also told you you can opt not to if you really didn't want to do it. I did tell you it was dangerous."

"There's no way I'm backing out," replied the former Gryffindor, determination in her voice. "If Rose can do it… there's no way for me not to be able to as well…"

Severus had watched the ordeal, and to say that he was surprised would be an understatement. No. In fact, he was quite amazed with their reactions.

The moment Ilya told them about how being a magus means to walk with death, as well as explained to them all about her magecraft, the raven-haired young man had expected the two females to look either shocked or horrified. Magecraft, from its very definition and practice, was not only dangerous; it was, as far as the current standard of magic was concerned, undoubtedly a form of Dark Arts. Being an unknown and rarely practiced branch of magic, it could only fall under that particular category. And now that Ilya had revealed this aspect to them, Severus had actually expected Alice and Rose to feel disturbed, to have doubts, and there was even the chance that they might end up leaving. And yet…

They had taken in this piece of information much better than he had anticipated. While he was inwardly pleased with this fact, Severus could not help but be surprised by the overall way they reacted. The two had accepted things quicker and better than he (and he was sure Ilya as well) had hoped they would.

_So this must be what friendship is all about,_ thought Severus to himself.

Friendship. There could be no other reason. It was the only possible explanation for their open-mindedness and acceptance. Severus, having been around Alice and Rose for a little while now, could tell that each of them, while having some similar traits(specially their love for fighting using other weapons than a wand), had an overall different view of things, which is also probably one of the reasons why the black-haired girl was normally in constant bickering and argument with the blue-haired female. Each person, after all, has his or her own perspective of things, and normally this is what cause conflicts. Even Severus himself, while always yearning for acceptance, was actually an anti-social person at heart, who normally disliked staying in the company of others, especially if they have different interests which they want to talk about. And yet…

They had remained together, and had even become closer to each other. They had now formed strong bonds of friendship and comraderie which even Severus, had it not happened in reality, would never have believed to be possible. And the only reason for something so unlikely to have even happened…

It was because of Ilya. Yes, there was definitely something about her, and it had nothing to do with her abilities or her magic and magecraft. She was kind, and a good person at heart. She can be dishonest at times, yet that only seemed to add to the mystery that surrounds her...

She was protective of the people she cared about, the people she considered family. Ilya was extremely loyal to her friends, and would undoubtedly do everything in her power to protect the people she cared for…

And also, as Severus noticed, Ilya had charisma. Once someone got to know her a little better, it was difficult for them not to like her. At the beginning of the term, most of the students, even the Ravenclaws, as well as the teachers, had been distant, undoubtedly due to the grand spectacle she had caused, as well as the rumors that circulated around her. Yet now, as a little time had passed, the barriers had been dissolving, and she had now gained the full acceptance of her Housemates. Had she decided to go to any other House, even Slytherin, the raven-haired young man could not help but be certain that she will also be able to gain many friends there. It was only a matter of time before everyone in Hogwarts finally saw her for who she truly was: just another, normal girl. Still…

"Hmmm… I am not yet completely certain, but it seems that fire is your element Rose… and yours seem to be water, Alice…" commented Ilya in her 'Professor Emiya' voice, currently observing their two female friends, glowing lines appearing all over their body (Rose's was reddish, while Alice's was bluish like Severus').

_Ignite,_ thought Severus, as he imagined lighting up a cauldron, activating his own Magic Circuits, before resuming his sword practice.

Now that Rose and Alice were starting to learn magecraft, he needed to speed up his training as well. Having seen them handle weapons, as well as sparred with them, Severus knew that both females had more training and combat experience than him when it comes to non-wand battles. While he currently still had the advantage, if he did not hurry, Alice and Rose were bound to surpass him, and that was something which the raven-haired young man could not allow.

In the past few weeks, he had given attention to trying to master his elemental affinity, wind, and somehow he seemed to have made some progress. However it was not enough. He still had a long way to go…

Yes, Severus Snape was a genius when it comes to inventing spells, and he was quite a fast learner even with magecraft, yet when it comes to aspects not involving magic, like sword fighting for example… well, his pace was not as fast. Still, the raven-haired young man was doing the best he can at whatever it was he had to do, and perhaps… combining everything he learned, magic or not, and using them together…

_Might just do the trick…_

**-BREAK-**

(Dumbledore POV)

"Haaaa…..huuummm… oh, excuse me," said Dumbldore apologetically, as he yawned.

It was three a.m, Friday morning. Albus Dumbledore, along with other members of the Wizengamot, were currently in the court room, waiting for the session to take place. One of the members had called for an emergency meeting, and so, despite it being very early in the morning, when most people would still be asleep, the members of the Wizard High Court had no choice but to comply by coming. Even Dumbledore, who was the Chef, had to follow protocol, as any member of the Wizengamot had the right to call for a meeting whenever they want, which was indeed, convenient.

Soon, the man responsible for this early wake-up call had arrived… and many of the wizards present could not help but feel annoyed and irritated at the sight of the person.

"Ah, Cornelius," said Dumbledore in his normal cheerful greeting, as he assisted the man, who seemed to be still half asleep. "So what is this urgent matter that cannot wait for the daylight hours to arrive?"

"What?" replied Fudge, who was obviously still in the daze. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"But did you not write this letter, Cornelius?" asked Dumbledore, as he handed a letter to Fudge, which apparently was the same as the one which the other Wizengamot members present received."

"Dear Merlin! They printed the wrong time!" exclaimed Fudge. "It was supposed to be seventeenth of September, 3p.m. in the afternoon, not 3a.m. in the morning! Still, I'm sure I checked these before I sent them out. Someone must have changed it… probably as a practical joke." Groans could be heard from among the members of the High Wizard Court, as realization dawned upon them.

"I see," said Dumbledore calmly. "Thank you for enlightening us, Cornelius. Everyone, as you can see, there has been a bit of error in the time printed on the letters. Please just inform everyone else about this mistake." And without another word, the Headmaster began walking swiftly towards the nearest fireplace.

"Albus?" inquired Fudge, but the silver-bearded man feigned not to have heard, as he hastened his steps.

_This wasn't an accident… it was intentional…_ thought Albus Dumbledore gravely, as in an almost run, he rushed towards the fireplace, sprinkled himself with some floo powder, and shouted at the fireplace to bring him back to Hogwarts. He had an ominous feeling about the whole affair, and decided to go back to the school as at once…

"?!"

The Headmaster was surprised. For some reason, the Floo Network did not acknowledge his request. He tried again, yet it still didn't work.

"The Floo Network's currently undergoing it's weekly maintenance, Albus," panted Fudge, who had just caught up with the silver beard. "You do know that right? It's the weekly schedule."

The returning students… the mistake in the letter… and now the Floo Network…

The old Headmaster could not help but feel immensely worried, as he grabbed the nearest broomstick and started flying, intending to Apparate in front of the Hogwarts gates, at a spot that was not enchanted with the school's anti-apparition system, once he got close enough…

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"ROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!"

It was not exactly the best way to start the day. Like always, Ilya and her friends were always up early for their early morning jog. It had already somewhat become a routine for them, and now that they have official permission from the Headmaster, they no longer needed to be careful about not getting caught on their way to the lake. This time, however, as they headed out into the courtyard…

"KYAAAA!" screamed several female voices.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN?!" shouted Alice, Rose and Severus together.

"ROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!"

"By the Root," cursed Ilya.

For in front of them, stood a giant of a man… no, it was definitely a giant… a towering monstrosity. It was probably between twenty to thirty feet tall, large and formidable, its savagely muscular body exposed for all to see. On its head was bronze helmet, and while they cannot yet see its face, as its back was turned to them, Ilya was sure that it was wearing an angry, vicious expression on its face, as numerous spells were sent at it, though they seem to merely glance off its tough skin.

Ilya could not help but feel somewhat awed. The sight, while not exactly pleasant, felt somewhat nostalgic, as it reminded the silver-haired girl of the Greek Hero Hercules, who had been her servant Berserker in the fifth Holy Grail War… only this time, the thing before her was even bigger and more monstrous than the Mad Warrior. For Berserker, while ilya was sure he would not be outclassed in overall performance, was a dwarf compared to the titan that was in front of her right now.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN ARE YOU KIDS DOING HERE? GET BACK TO BED!" shouted an authorative female voice, which belonged to Professor McGonagall, who was wearing her tartan night gown, before completely removing her attention from them, as she sent Stunning Spells at the monstrosity, to no avail. As Ilya observed, there seemed to be some sort of protective enchantment surrounding the giant, not to mention the fact that it seems like the teacher was holding back.

That came as no surprise. While one of its enormous hands held a weapon… a massive, metallic, club, covered with spikes… the other hand… held a little blonde girl…

"MERLIN BE DAMNED!" shouted Professor Flitwick in an uncharacteristic growl for his small size, as he broke the Earth in front of the giant to try and stop its advance, though it only served to slow it down for a bit. The huge towering figure seemed to be in a hurry to get away from the castle, and it was heading in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

"HRAAAAAGH!" roared another voice, as a another huge figure, though only a fifth in size to the monster, attempted to tackle the titan, only to find itself deflected by whatever invisible enchantment has been placed around the giant. It was the gamekeeper, Hagrid, and unfortunately, his attempt ended with him rolling to one side helplessly.

The situation was not good. Judging from the huge cracks on the ground, it was apparent that the giant had been bringing down its club from time to time, probably to crush the little insects that were the teachers, which were annoying it. The Professors who were currently there were, McGonagall, Slughorn, Flitwick, Sprout, and Sinistra. While Ilya was sure that they probably had more powerful spells in their arsenal that can break through the enchantment, they were undoubtedly holding back, reluctant to use their full power, as the titan had a hostage in its grasp. Analyzing the situation, whoever the girl was was probably someone important, as the giant, in all its insane rage, seemed to be making sure to keep the girl alive, and it was probably under strict orders to do so, probably under threat of death or pain (and whoever can threaten such a monstrosity and make it fear for its life, enough for it to obey, must be someone powerful indeed.).

And now, with the teachers being the way they are (being pathetic), in just a little while, the giant, slowly winning its struggle, will probably be able to reach the Forest and escape with its hostage. No, that cannot be allowed to happen. The silver-haired girl knew that there was only one option available. How it managed to enter the castle, who could have helped it, how it remained undetectable, all these questions can be answered later. For now…

_I guess this is the only way,_ sighed Ilya to herself, as she took one step forward, but found her arm grabbed firmly by another hand.

"Ilya, where do you think you're going?"

"Sev, please let go," said the white-haired girl, as she faced his boyfriend, worry written all over his face.

A painful, preciously painful moment passed, as the two looked each other straight in the eye, emerald eyes on pearly black ones, as Rose and Alice looked at her as well, with a similarly worried expression on their faces.

"Please, there is no time, I'll handle this," said Ilya pleadingly.

"You're not doing this alone," said the raven-haired young man, as their two other companions nodded in agreement.

For a moment there was silence, as Ilya contemplated on the situation…

"I have to… it's the only way…" said the white-haired girl quietly. "Please… trust me…"

Another painful moment passed. And then…

"All right, I trust you Ilya," sighed the raven-haired young man, as he loosened his grip on her arm. "But please promise me… try not to get yourself hurt…"

"I promise," said Ilya sincerely, as she started running towards the monstrously huge creature that was continuously heading for the forest.

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

Ilya contemplated on her options. On one hand, she could try and launch a barrage of blades at the giant, but then, the monster did have a hostage in her clutches. One miscalculation could mean her death, and the silver-haired girl was not about to let it happen. Therefore…

Ilya sighed. It was the only way.

"MS. EMIYA! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" screamed Professor McGonagall, but the silver-haired girl ignored her. Giving her any attention would only waste time.

Ilya was now standing in front of the giant, with her back to the Forbidden, the monster's escape route. There was about twenty meters between them, and under normal circumstances, the beast could close that gap in two seconds. However, the teachers were slowing it down, and thus she had an opening…

There were many weapons in her arsenal, so many swords and blades stored in her Reality Marble, that it had already reached the point when it was impossible to count. And for the particular situation at hand, there was one sword that was suited perfectly.

The silver-haired girl closed her eyes.

_"Trace on…"_

While it was true that she can Project swords almost instantly, it still took her a while to Trace some of the more legendary weapons in her arsenal, especially if she wanted them on a level of near flawlessness and perfection…

Ilya had actually also thought of using Kanshou and Byakuya, as they were among the higher level Noble Phanstasms which she could project instantly, but the method of using them in itself was the problem… the technique "Three Wing Crane Realm," while Ilya could already perform it, would not be a good idea. If it was Archer, he would have been able to fully control the blades in such a way to ensure that the technique would be initiated calculatedly, harming only the target. However, while Ilya is able to use it, she was still not at that level of control, and therefore using it would endanger the hostage. Therefore, there was only one other option available…

_Judge the concept of creation._

_Imagine the basic structure._

_Replicate the material composition._

_Imitate the craftsmanship._

_Sympathize with the experiences of its growth._

_Remake its history._

_Excel in every manufacturing process._

A bright light shone momentarily, as the weapon materialized in her hand.

It was a sword. A golden sword, with a beautiful, jewel-embroidered hilt, the blade of which was one of the finest in history…

"ROOOAAAARRRR!"

As if it sensed the imminent danger, the giant, which was originally moving fully straight forward, now shifted its course sideways, to avoid the silver-haired girl who was now wielding a golden sword. However…

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA," shouted the silver-haired girl in battlecry, as she charged towards the towering monster.

"ROOOAAAARRRR!"

THUD!

The titan had sent it club flying towards Ilya. Unfortunately, while it was not exactly slow, the movement was predictable, and was therefore easy for the silver-haired bullet to dodge…

SLICE!

"ROOOAAAARRRR!"

In one powerful bound, the silver-haired girl had chopped off the giant's arm, which was holding the blonde girl hostage, as it fell in a bloody mess, the hand itself serving to cushion the fall of the hostage.

But in the time it took for the girl to land, the giant had once again lifted its club, and was about to swing it downward once again.

"Tch."

The giant seemed to have lost all sense of duty, only its survival instinct remained. Unfortunately, Ilya could not avoid the next swing. If she did, the blow would be in direct collision course with the unconscious girl, and that would only mean instant death for her...

The silver-haired girl, knowing it was the only way, focused all the prana she could into the sword, making it glow a dazzling golden light…

_Saber, please lend me your strength,_ prayed Ilya in her thoughts, as she readied herself in a stance, before lunging forward…

"CALI-"

The giant swung down its club, with all the force it could muster…

"-BURN!"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out.

Not much to say this time, except that I'm really busy, though I promise I'll try and update at least once a week.

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	48. CHAPTER 46

**CHAPTER 46: REVELATION**

(Multi-person POV)

"CALI-"

The giant swung down its club…

"-BURN!"

September seventeen would be a day to remember for the ones who had seen what happened. Indeed, the sight they bore witness to was incredible, as a girl, young and frail-looking in comparison to what she faced at the start, confronted a monstrous giant, armed with a huge weapon, and had great magical resistance, as well as being protected by powerful enchantments. Yet all these advantages were rendered useless, as the girl charged in, and destroyed the beast.

The giant, with the force of two hundred men, swung down its mighty club at the small figure on the ground, with every intent to destroy. The ones who were watching wanted to shout at the girl,to tell her to run away, and indeed it was what they thought the girl would do. Instead, however, the silver-haired female stood her ground, as she seemed to prepare herself to meet the force of the oncoming doom head-on. For a fraction of a second, the ones witnessing it thought it was the end. They thought it was over, that the girl was going to die. Instead, what happened next was not only unexpected… it was awestriking…

The moment the huge club was upon the girl, they expected her to be crushed, to be pulverized by the force. Instead…

"ROOOOAAAARRRR!"

"HYAAAAAAAAAAA!"

CRACK!

The giant's powerful weapon, which they expected would crush the girl, was destroyed, as the girl's golden sword pierced through it. Indeed, it was a most unexpected and amazing spectacle. However, it does not end there…

With momentum on her side, the girl continued to charge forward, almost flying, jumping an impossible height, as she lunged with the golden blade in her hand, running it through the giant's chest, impaling the monstrosity through its heart…

A moment of silent tenseness passed, before the giant roared one last time, as a majestic golden light engulfed the area, everyone watching temporarily blinded by the bright light…

In a short while, the light from the sword finally dissippated, as the people watching slowly regained their vision…

And the sight they beheld was one which they would never forget…

There was the girl, her silver-hair flowing gently in the breeze, her face illuminated by the rising sun, the sunlight reflected by the majestic sword she held in her hands. She was facing a large pile of dark ash and sand, which was undoubtedly the remains of the monstrosity she had been fighting just moments before.

She had a hardened and determined look on her face, fitting of a warrior, of a knight who fights courageously in battle. Yet, her pose was elegant, and somewhat regal, her fierce expression, rather than marring her face, only seemed to add to her beauty…

Everyone who had seen it, everyone who had witnessed it, students and teachers alike, stood stiff as statues, as if Petrified, the events that unfolded before them still playing in their minds, in a state of awed disbelief…

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"Sev," smiled the silver-haired girl, as she approached her friends, the sword disappearing from her hands.

It was just… too much. Severus Snape had been together with Ilya for quite some time now, having lived together with her, and they were now in a relationship, their feelings of love for each other mutual.

She was, as she declared, no witch. She was a magus, one who walks with death, and a highly skilled one at that. She knew a lot of powerful spells, some of which she had already shown, such as the Gandr, powerful gunshot like orbs of light, which she used in her battle against the Death Eaters, as well as Rho Aius, an immensely powerful shield which can deflect even a powerful barrage of Killing Curses, which were not only deadly, but supposed to be unblockable.

And she was also a master of Projection, Tracing, which was similar in a way to Transfiguration, yet different. And her specialty was in Tracing swords…

The silver-haired girl had already shown the raven-haired young man her Reality Marble, one of the highest forms of magecraft, and hers was known as Unlimited Blade Works, infinite creation of swords, and it was indeed a fitting name. It was Ilya's inner world, where all the swords and blades she had ever encountered were stored and recorded for later use. Yes, Severus knew it was really powerful magic. The silver-haired girl had already shown him one of the pinnacles of her power, an inner world, which can be brought out into the real world for a certain amount of time…

Yet seeing Ilya in action, who was apparently using just a small fraction of her powers, still shook the raven-haired young man to his core.

_Caliburn… _thought the raven-haired young man inwardly.

He knew what it was. There was only one sword in history with that name… and there was only one wielder… King Arthur.

Yes, it was a famous sword in England, known in both in the magical and nonmagical community as a great legend. It was a holy, sentinient blade, which belonged to the one and true king of England, said to surpass all the rest in power and greatness. Yes, it was called Caliburn in some legends while Excalibur in others, though they practically referred to the same weapon. Severus was sure, that the blade Ilya had used was undoubtedly that particular Holy Sword. If Ilya had seen it before, with her abilities, her origin and her element being 'Sword,' there was no doubt that she could make a perfect copy of the weapon, and have it stored in her Reality Marble. Still, the raven-haired young man could not help but feel uneasy. And it was for the very reason, that whether one was living in either the Muggle or even the magical world…

The sword was just a myth! A legend! Or maybe not. But the point was, It wasn't even supposed to exist anymore! Arthur and Merlin may have been real, but the sword's existence itself, as a sword of power, more than just an ornamental blade, was doubtful.

Yet here she was, wielding the very weapon that was once wielded by the great King Arthur. Even if Ilya's Reality Marble could copy any sword or blade, how exactly did she even manage to get a glimpse of that particular sword, when said sword, even by magical records, as far as Severus knew, had never actually existed, or had been lost for centuries?

Perhaps it was a fake that she saw and copied, not the real sword. But somehow, Severus' gut feeling was screaming at him, that the Caliburn Ilya used… was definitely the real thing. The sword's presence was so surreal and majestic, that there was no possible way for it to have been just a mere imitation. Well… even if it was just a copy, the Caliburn Ilya used, was definitely based on, and extremely close to the original… which means that she did indeed see the sword close-hand…

Now that he remembered the hill of swords that Ilya had shown him, the raven-haired young man recalled some of the assortment of blades, swords and spears that was there… and indeed he had felt immense pressure and aura coming from some of the weapons. How he wished he had paid further attention to the details rather than just focused on the fact that they were swords…

"You know… it's not good to keep your mouth hanging open like that… flies might enter it you know…" said a familiar female voice cheerfully. "Guess you must've forgotten to brush your teeth last night."

Instead of reacting to the joke, however, the raven-haired young man simply continued to stare quietly, his thought processes still at a standstill.

"Ilya," inquired Rose quietly, the blue-haired girl with a seriously awed expression on her face. "What was that?"

"Caliburn," replied the silver-haired girl nonchalantly. "The Sword of Promised Victory…why?"

"That was the, 'Sword of Promised Victory?'" said Alice incredulously. "But that's impossi…"

"I'll tell you about it later," Ilya cut her off, frowning slightly, apparently displeased with the strange looks they seem to be wearing on their faces. "For now, why don't we go get something to eat… hunger is the enemy…"

Noticing that his silver-haired girlfriend was now walking back towards the castle, Severus and their other two female companions followed, unmindful of the stares they (mostly Ilya) were receiving, their minds too focused on what they had just witnessed…

**-BREAK-**

(Dumbledore POV)

The old Headmaster was in shock. He had been worried. The moment he realized that he had been tricked into leaving Hogwarts, Dumbledore knew that some kind of plot was being initiated at his school in his absence. Realizing this, the Headmaster hurried and hastened his pace, as fast as he could, to return to Hogwarts….

_"CALI-"_

_"-BURN!"_

Just in time to see the threat eliminated… but it was not the giant, nor the fact that it was vanquished, and it wasn't even the fact that he had been tricked into leaving Hogwarts, that got Dumbledore's attention the most…

In all his long life, despite all his delvings with magic, Dumbledore had still never seen anything like it…

It was an excellent blade, forged to such a level of magnificence. And it had been imbued with a lot of power, meant to strike down powerful foes in a single strike. Yet, it was not really these excelling factors that made the old man gape in wonder. No, the real reason why his heart almost stopped beating, was due to the fact…

That the light that came from the sword was that of justice and righteousness…

Yes, the sword shone with a bright golden light, yet like any other weapon, it reflected the heart of its wielder… and that, as far as Dumbledore was concerned, said everything about the Emiya girl.

It did not really matter to the old man if the sword itself was the real deal or not, nor did it matter to him what kind of connection the girl could possibly have with King Arthur. Well, it did have some relevance, but it was trivial to what Dumbledore had confirmed, as far as the old Headmaster was concerned at least.

Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya had been an enigma, someone who had been hard to understand. Yes, she was undoubtedly a prodigous witch, and, by magical standards, possessed a great amount of talent. Indeed, she was undoubtedly powerful…yet, she was unreadable.

For despite everything that he had discovered so far, including what he learned from the Sorting Hat, the old Headmaster had still been unsure of her stand, whether she was with the light or with the dark. He was uneasy, very much so. Even though he had already conversed with her, and had even sought her assistance in protecting the castle… overall the Headmaster still did not know what to make of the silver-haired female…

Yet, what he had witnessed on this day was enough. The girl, Emiya… while she may act like she had a somewhat different view of things to the Headmaster… deep down, she was a good person… and it may have been the reason why she had been destined for the phoenix wand made of Holly…

Kill one to save ten… kill ten to save a hundred… kill a hundred to save a thousand… even if she had lived by that principle, even she had indeed killed in the past, and was willing to do so if necessary, her recent action, assaulting the giant and rescuing the young blonde female had just proven her true nature…

For even if her objective was only to minimize the damage… if it was possible for there to be no casualties, she would immediately jump at the opportunity, though she would still choose the latter if the possibility is too slim…

But more importantly, she was not afraid of putting her own life on the line to protect other people.

The Headmaster, having earlier cast on himself a powerful Invisibility Spell, watched as the silver-haired female enter the castle with her friends, while the other teachers checked on the condition of the rescued young girl.

In truth, while Dumbledore had been going around telling the world that love was stronger than any magic in the world, he had personally, in the past, studied magic deeply, including some forms and branches, which many would actually consider as Dark Arts. While he had not gotten so far as to sacrifice innocent lives for his experiments or mutilate his own soul, he had actually come close to that point. He had been afraid, afraid to go any further, for fear of becoming evil, for fear of becoming corrupted. He had a near miss, almost becoming a hypocrite, by doing evil under the banner "For the Greater Good," when in fact all he would have ever cared about were his own personal interests…

Yet here was a girl, who has, by all means, already surpassed him in many aspects, not as a witch or wizard, but as a person. She was brave, courageous, and held a fierce and unwavering resolve. Overall, she actually seemed like the typical Gryffindor… minus the prejudice that comes along with it, for she, like Dumbledore, seemed to be betting on the goodness in people's hearts, and her bet had actually succeeded with a certain raven-haired former Slytherin.

While it was not her motto, Dumbledore realized that Emiya's principles were actually, (unlike his own and Grindelwald's hypocritical ways in the past), what "For the Greater Good" truly meant, by the letter…

In all his years of experience, Dumbledore had never thought it possible. He was a powerful wizard, and had become a good and righteous person by choice. Afraid of becoming what he did not want to become, the Headmaster had dedicated his life to Hogwarts, and to the betterment of the Wizarding Society as whole, while avoiding holding any position of absolute power (Being the Chief Mugwump simply makes him the presiding officer, or speaker, and he was still just equal in rank to the other members, his opinion only counting as one vote). And as for the vast learnings of magic he had accumulated through the years, Dumbledore intended to keep it all to himself, to take it with him to the grave. It was a waste, but the headmaster knew it was for the best. For his vast knowledge of magic, if passed on to others, could have dire consequences. It was, after all, power, and power normally corrupts. Dumbledore might inadvertedly end up giving rise to another Dark Lord, who might even become more cruel and evil than the current one, Voldemort himself… The very thought of teaching what he had accumulated throughout the decades had never crossed Dumbledore's mind…

Until now, that is…

_This girl,_ thought the Headmaster, as he entered his office, awaiting the angry outburst of Minerva McGonagall, who was probably now on her way to ask him as to where in Merlin's name he had been (And the informant could only be the portrait of one Phineas Black, who had informed him that the Headmistress now knew of his return.).

Dumbledore mused to himself, as he realized. For the very first time in his life, he had found someone… someone who he could probably share all his knowledge with… someone who he could trust with and pass on the magical research and learnings he had acquired through the decades, without fear of it being used for evil…

The Headmaster knew that he needed to get his priorities in order. The school and the safety of its students naturally come first, as well as trying to find the culprits (well, evidence on the culprits, as he already knew who some of the suspects were, glaringly obvious suspects), so that he will have solid grounds to have them removed from Hogwarts, and thus prevent them from causing further harm.

Still, the Headmaster could not help but feel a bit of joy… For finally, after a very, very long time…

_It seems like I've finally found my successor…_

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

_I knew I shouldn't have used that sword,_ thought a silver-haired girl, as she sighed inwardly.

Ilya was not having a good day. Somehow, someone had managed to sneak in a giant (_a giant, by the Root, a giant!_) into the castle, and it almost succeeded in kidnapping one of the students, had Ilya not stopped it. She had successfully prevented its escape, and the blonde female was safe, as was everyone else in the castle. Yes, that problem has been resolved. And now all she had to deal with…

Were the numerous unpleasant stares that the entire student population was now giving her…

Apparently, unfortunately, all the commotion on the grounds had somehow awakened everyone in the entire castle (Privacy Wards be damned), and as Ilya remembered, many students were already awake when she and her friends arrived. Which meant that most of the people in the castle were no longer asleep at the time, and it also means…

That her little display was more or less witnessed by almost the entire Hogwarts population.

After the battle she had fought, as well as the fact that she used a large amount of magical energy, Ilya was exhausted and starving. Unfortunately, she had not prepared any meals for them that day in advance…

Which meant that she had no choice but to eat her breakfast in the Great Hall. She knew that she could have simply taken food from the kitchens, or from the table and then leave quickly for the safety of the fourth floor, yet she found this option unavailable at the moment.

She was already famished. No matter how much she would have wanted to, she needed to replenish her energy as soon as humanly possible, and carrying the food would only delay the process, not to mention the fact that it was more comfortable eating while resting than while walking (which would make eating useless, as it would be burned up immediately anyway)…

And while the price to pay for staying in the Great Hall was a most irritating one (the annoying stares), it also gave her time to organize her thoughts, on the best way to explain things to Sev, Alice, and Rose. Had they gone immediately to the fourth floor, the three would undoubtedly immediately corner her with their questions. By staying in a rather public place, the three were sensible enough not to start open discussion on the issue, which they wordlessly understood to be on sensitive information, for which Ilya was thankful for.

Her companions were considerate and understanding, yet she knew that it would be best not to hide too much from them, especially on the issue at hand. She would just tell the three of them later, (though if they decide that they would rather not know, it would fine as well), meanwhile ignoring the rest of the school, as she sipped some coffee. Yes, this was indeed the best course of action…

"OUR KING!"

Or not…

_Now what?_ sighed Ilya inwardly.

Some people screamed, as ghosts, about thirty of them, entered the Great Hall, as their echoing voices cried out in unison…

"OUR KING! HIS LINE IS STILL ALIVE! HIS DESCENDANTS STILL LIVE ON! LONG LIVE THE KING!"

Amidst the cries of the ghosts, gasps and murmurings can be heard from the students around them…

_Calm down, Ilya,_ thought the silver-haired girl to herself. _Don't let it get to you. Restrain yourself… restrain yourself… _

"King Arthur?"

"Her?"

"A descendant?"

"Impossible…"

"But even the ghosts…"

Yes, even the ghosts. Unfortunately, they were indeed the main problem. For some reason, these dearly departed wizards (knights, probably, based from their armored attire) were the ones who were breathing more fire to the already furiously burning circulating rumor (which took less than an hour to spread throughout the whole school and intensify). Yes, they were already dead, which means that some of them could have more or less been around for over a thousand years, and may have in fact, been alive to see the real King Arthur and his sword, however the legends went in this universe… and this very possibility made their speculations even more ridiculous…

Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya was now truly regretting her decision of using the sword which belonged to the Once and Future King of England, who, unknown to anyone but her, was actually one of the few people Ilya had considered family…

And now, by using Caliburn in plain view, some people, living and formerly living alike, seemed to have begun to believe that there was some sort of link between Ilya and the King of Knights. They seemed to be starting to think that the silver-haired girl was somehow related to him… and from Ilya's perspective, it was not a good thing…

The silver-haired girl tried her hardest to control her patience, which was already at the brink of snapping. Unfortunately, after all the early morning stress, as well as the fact that she had not yet had a single bite to eat, save for a bit of coffee… with all the muttering and whispering around her… it was just impossible…

Ilya calmly stood up, filled her lungs with air, and then…

"THE ROOT BE DAMNED! PLEASE STOP WITH THIS NONSENSE!"

The silver-haired girl had finally lost to her temper, as she continued…

"Let me make this clear… I AM NOT A RELATIVE OF KING ARTHUR! I AM NOT RELATED TO HER IN ANY WAY! I MOST CERTAINLY AM NOT ARTURIA'S DESCENDANT!"

The Great Hall suddenly fell silent, as the voice of the silver-haired surpassed even the ghost's rants in volume, as they also became quiet.

"Sev, Rose, Alice… let's go…"

"Ily… whoa… wait!"

Ilya, unable to take anymore, stood up, headed for the door with her friends, then…

SLAM!

Without another word, the silver-haired girl decided that getting some peace and quiet would be nice, and had now begun heading towards their favorite spot on the fourth floor, when…

"How did you know that?" demanded an echoing voice suddenly, which, while not in shouting fashion, as a transparent ghost glided through the air, stopping just in front of the silver-haired female and her companions, who were now beginning to climb up the Grand Staircase. It was the ghost of a tall and rather handsome-looking man, wearing a silver armor, with long white-blonde hair and steely grey eyes, which were somewhat still noticeable, despite being semi-transparent. "Who are you? How is it that you posses my King's prized weapon? But more importantly… how did you know that my King was a woman?"

Ilya was shocked. After all the gossip, rumors and inquiries she had endured at Hogwarts so far, she thought she had had the worst of it… yet now… with a few simple questions… this particular apparition had just shaken her far more than all the other rumors put together… Still…

"Is it not rude to first ask a lady her name?" inquired the silver-haired girl, as she tried to regain her composure. "Is it not the knight who introduces himself first?"

"Forgive me for my earlier behavior," replied the man, apparently trying to redeem himself from his sudden outburst, yet a fire of yearning and curiosity can be seen in his eyes. "I am Sir Bedwyr Bedrydant, former Duke of Normandy, and former member of the Knights of the Round Table… now do pray tell, why does thou wield Caliburn, when as far as I remember, it has been broken... yet now I find that it is whole again… and how does thou know of my King's true gender?"

_Bedivere, _thought the silver-haired girl, as the memory of a conversation with a certain blonde haired female with cold green eyes surfaced in Ilya's mind…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Well, I must admit I've been a bit slow on updates in the past few days, due to my flu, my school work, my work, and um… other distractions… not to mention the fact that I've also been reading other fanfics and hell are they good… really wish I could write in that level, but oh well, I'm just human after all… once I get this story finished and get a decent beta reader I'm sure I can get my own to that level… hopefully, though it's still unlikely.

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter…

Later then, people…


	49. CHAPTER 47

**CHAPTER 47: CONJURATIO ET MYSTERIUM  
**

(Severus POV)

"So you actually met her ghost?" inquired a black-haired female.

"Yes," replied a silver-haired girl.

"And you became good friends with her spirit?"

"Yes."

"I can't believe it… King Arthur was actually a girl!? A blondie who wears armor just like a knight, and is really good with the sword?" stated Alice incredulously, as she started shaking the silver-haired girl by her shoulder on reflex.

"It is the truth, whether you believe it or not," said Ilya honestly.

Four people were currently talking in a sitting position inside the dojo on the fourth floor, talking about all that transpired just a while back that morning… well, it was more like an inquiry and interrogation of Ilya than anything else, and Alice was leading the investigation…

"Alright I believe you," sighed the black-haired female, as she went back to sit on the floor. "Still… would you mind telling us Ilya… why do you have her sword?"

"I would like to know that as well," added Rose, her eyes also alight with curiosity. "Why is it that Caliburn is in your possession? Not only that, Bedivere, that ghost we talked to just a while ago said that it was broken? So how come… Ilya?"

"I…I'm really sorry," stammered the silver-haired girl, a mixture of apology and pleading in her voice. "But that is something between me and Arturia. I sort of promised her… I… I… I…"

"We understand," said Rose gently at her silver-haired friend, worried, apparently seeing the nervousness and hesitation. "If you can't tell us about it, then we won't force you…"

"Thank you…"

Severus remained silent, as he continued to watch the exchange, relieved that Rose, as well as Alice, were letting the matter go. The silver-haired girl just repeated the same things which she said to the ghost of Bedivere, who, fortunately enough, backed down when Ilya used the same reasoning. From the look on their faces, the raven-haired young man could tell that the two females wanted to know more, but were understanding enough to let the issue drop.

In truth, Severus himself was curious, really curious, as he also wanted to know how Ilya had met the ghost of the King of Knights. Yes, there had been quite a few revelations that he discovered that morning. The first one was the fact that Ilya actually had the legendary sword, Caliburn, stored in her Reality Marble.

The second one… having such an epic weapon like The Sword of Promised Victory among her countless number of blades… could only mean that Ilya probably had others swords, blades and spears of such magnitude within it… and the raven-haired young man could not help but shudder at the thought… Unlimited Blade Works, Infinite Creation of Swords, indeed…

Yet for some reason, his silver-haired girlfriend did not seem to want to tell her friends about it. Well, it was only natural for her to conceal her abilities, undoubtedly believing that it was for the best. She would probably tell them about it as well eventually, but now was not the best time, and he could not help but agree… it was indeed best to take things slow and easy when it comes to such delicate matters. Still…

Severus already knew that Ilya can be of the secretive type, and he could not help but feel that aside from trying to conceal her powers and what she was capable of, there was something more to it…

And it was from the way his silver-haired girlfriend talked about the King of Knights, that made Severus really curious. Yes, it had indeed been quite a shock when they found out that Arthur Pendragon was actually Arturia Pendragon, a woman, who disguised herself as a man so she could ascend the throne. Yes, it was quite the surprise, but it was something else that caught Severus' attention…

It was strange. For some reason, when Ilya talked about the legendary King Arthur, Arturia, it was with a lot of emotional attachment and affection. It was as if she had known her personally, not just as a ghost or spirit, but as real live person, and it was indeed baffling. The way she talked… it was as if they had lived together like family under the same roof.

Yes, it was farfetched theory, nearly as farfetched as Voldemort seeing the error of his ways and turning himself over to the Ministry… and yet…

"Alright then, Ilya," said Alice, with a fake yawn, as she stood up and stretched her arms. "I remember you said you will teach us a new spell today…"

"That is correct," replied the silver-haired female, her voice monotonous, as she entered 'Professor Emiya' mode. "Today I will be teaching the two of you Reinforcement…"

Severus also stood up, and absentmindedly grabbed one of the wooden swords on the side to practice…

SWISH!

SWISH!

SWISH!

_Arturia Pendragon,_ thought Severus, as he continued his training, though half of his attention was focused on what he was thinking about.

The King… Queen of Knights…

SWISH!

One of the greatest swordsmen…women, in history…

SWISH!

"?!"

The raven-haired young man, not paying attention to what he was doing, lost his balance, then…

_That was close,_ sighed Severus inwardly, thankful that he managed to catch himself just in time, as well as the fact that the other three did not seem to have noticed, too busy with their Magecraft lesson. Had he fallen on his behind, it would made a loud enough for the them to hear and would have been… embarrassing. So now… _Wait… Arturia…? King of Knights…? Caliburn…?_

The eyes of the man with raven hair widened, as he realized something, a memory flashing through his mind… It was absolutely impossible… and yet… Severus could not help but acknowledge what his gut feeling was telling him…

A picture of a petite blonde-haired girl, with cold green eyes, who wore a stern and emotionless expression on her face…

_Saber…_

**-BREAK-**

(Dumbledore POV)

"… and the girl?" inquired the Headmaster.

"In the hospital wing." replied the Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall.

"What is her condition?" asked Dumbledore again, worry in her voice.

"She's fine, Albus." This time it was Filius Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw House, who answered in his squeaky voice. "When we left her with Poppy she was actually trying to get out of bed to um… see the heroine who saved her…"

"I see," replied the old Headmaster, relief in his voice. Madame Pomfrey, the Hogwarts School Nurse, was indeed an expert in healing… he could leave things in her hands until the girl was ready to talk. "So anyway, I think you all know why I've called for this meeting…"

It was indeed a most tiring and stressful morning for the faculty of Hogwarts. Despite all the magical security measures installed in the castle, as well as the presence of the teachers, each of whom were no pushovers, formidable witches and wizards in their own right, apparently it still wasn't enough.

Somehow, someone had managed to breach all the defenses, and managed to sneak a giant into the castle. And said giant managed to get its hands on one of the first year students. It was indeed a wonder, as to how someone had managed to sneak into the castle somethings so big…

From the information the teachers have gathered so far, they remain blind. They have absolutely no idea as to how it could have happened. Something so enormous could not have possibly entered Hogwarts, let alone get its hands on one of the student, unless…

The teachers had formulated a number of theories on the aspect. All they were sure of was that someone had used a powerful concealing spell, a Disillusionment on the giant, which let it remained unnoticed. But as for how it got it hands on a hostage…

There had been no evidence that the monstrosity had been anywhere inside the castle. It was actually purely by coincidence that the giant was detected. Hagrid and Slughorn were having a little chat early in the morning, and the larger of the two accidentally bumped into an unseen something that seemed, based from the fact that the gamekeeper despite being personally large, being a half-giant, was thrown back, even bigger than himself, which made that particular something roar. Slughorn, skilled wizard that he was, immediately suspected that a Disillusionment Charm was in place, and cast it, revealing the giant and its hostage. Had it not been for that little coincidence, the beast might have managed to escape with the girl unnoticed.

Still, the giant could not have possibly managed to snatch a student if it had not even been inside the castle and only on the grounds…

Which meant that someone else must have done it. That someone, while it was not clear whether or not whoever it was was controlling the giant or not, was definitely in league with it. Whoever the accomplice was managed to get their hands on the target, then handed it over to the giant, who tried to run off with it.

And whoever that accomplice was, judging from the House the hostage was in, was most likely to have been a Gryffindor…

The Headmaster was not pleased, yet even he could not deny the possibility. Perhaps one of the other students managed to cast a spell on either the girl, or one of her fellow Gryffindors, and controlled them so that the girl would willingly get herself hostaged, or the controlled student/s brought the girl to the giant or the one/s responsible…

Had the silver-haired not stepped in and done something about it… even Albus Dumbledore was not sure if he had made it in time. Once outside of the boundary of Hogwarts, a wizard would be able to use means, probably Apparition, to take the girl (and perhaps even the giant, if the wizard was powerful enough) away and out of reach of rescuers…

Yes, thanks to Emiya, the girl was safe. Had it not been for her… it might have been a disaster…

For the hostage the giant had managed to get its hands on, was actually…

"?!"

Without warning, flames erupted from the fireplace of the Headmaster's office, just as a formidable-looking man with dark grey hair, stepped out of it, brushing ash off his robes…

In the next little while, four more people appeared, arriving within moments of each other, out of the fireplace…

A female with purple hair...

A young man with brown hair…

An older man, who looked as if he was in his late fifties, with short white hair, and...

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion," began a male voice.

The one who spoke looked like he was between his thirties and forties, with short blonde hair and light blue eyes…

"… but I'm here to see my daughter. Where is she?"

"She is currently in the Hospital Wing," answered Dumbledore, as he and the rest of the staff showed the usual respectful formality and hospitality they gave the visitors of Hogwarts.

"Would you mind escorting us there?" inquired the blonde-haired man in an almost growl, his eyes narrowing, a mixture of worry and anger in them.

"Of course…" replied the Headmaster, as he gave a meaningful look to Minerva McGonagall, who nodded in response…

The Deputy Headmistress went in front of the group and offered to lead the way…

"This way, Minister…"

**-BREAK-**

(Voldemort POV)

"My Lord?"

"Leave me…" said a high cold voice.

"Y-yes My Lord," stammered the man, who left the room as quickly as he could, undoubtedly relieved to still be alive, despite the fact that he had brought ill news.

Indeed, under normal circumstances of failure, the Dark Lord might have done just that. Yes, he hated failure, he could hardly tolerate it, and whenever one of his followers had displeased him thus far, Lord Voldemort would kill them without mercy…

The plan had been simple. Upon entering Hogwarts, his followers were to create the perfect opportunity to kidnap the daughter of Ronald Dreamweaver, the Minister of Magic. The man had thought that his daughter was safe in Hogwarts, for it was under the protection of Albus Dumbledore, considered by many as the greatest sorcerer in the world (At this thought the Dark Lord almost puked.). Still, the Minister had actually added an extra precaution.

The Minister's child, Reina Dreamweaver, entered Hogwarts using the surname Cordon. By hiding her true identiy, Dreamweaver actually thought that this move would ensure his daughter's safety while she takes her magical education. It was a wise move. No one would ever know they were related. Reina was safe…

Well, that was what the fool thought. Unknown to him, Voldemort's spies in the Ministry managed to get their hands on such vital information, and gave it to their master. And thus, one of the plans the Dark Lord formulated involved kidnapping the girl. By holding her hostage, he would have a greatly increased influenced on the Ministry… and with a bit of manipulation, he would be able to take over. And once he has most of the Wizarding World discreetly under his control… even someone like Dumbledore would be easier to deal with. A little bit of politics and Voldemort would have the crackpot old fool discredited, removed from Hogwarts, or assassinated… with the Ministry under his control, there would have been so many options...

And indeed the phrase is 'there would have been…'

Once again, despite Voldemort's careful instructions and strategies, the plan failed. Not only was the girl not taken hostage, he had also lost one of his giant slaves… and while the Dark Lord did not care for the lives of such low creatures, he could not help but feel it was a waste. Voldemort was angry, infuriated with what happened...

Yet this time, despite the ill result his recent plan ended up with, the Dark Lord managed to keep his cool, keeping himself under control…

For despite the immense rage he felt, it was overwhelmed by the feeling of shock, awe and fear (though the Dark Lord would never admit that he felt fear, even to himself) from what had transpired...

Wanting to make sure his plans go according to plan, the Dark Lord had sent one of his snake familiars to watch the whole operation…

For a while it looked as if everything was going according to plan. As expected, the teachers, talented though they were, had been nothing but a nuisance (Voldemort had predicted that they would hold back their magic because of the hostage), simply delaying the successful abduction, which was inevitable. With Dumbledore safely out of the way, tricked by letter on which the time was deliberately switched, there was no way for the plan to fail. It was assured of 100% success…

Or not...

_"CALI-_

_BURN!"_

The Dark Lord, the greatest sorcerer in existence, was shocked. He will never admit it to anyone, but what he had seen through his familiar's eyes made him tremble with fear…

It was not due to the disintegrating effect the blast had on the giant. Voldemort actually had spells in his arsenal that can do the same amount,or even much more damage than what he had seen. However…

_That sword… THAT CURSED SWORD …_ screamed the Dark Lord in his thoughts…

Lord Voldemort felt gravely threatened. He was not sure if the sword was indeed the legendary Caliburn or not, in fact he did not actually care, for his interest lies in items with magic, yet even magical swords were not to his liking. Swords were too… primitive, too savage, too Mugglish, and therefore did not normally merit his attention. However, the light from the sword, the power used by the girl… that was the main problem…

For the light was a holy light… but more importantly, for some reason, Voldemort, having a front row seat via his familiar, instinctively knew what the power could do… one which was the greatest threat to his immortality…

The sword could destroy Horcruxes…

And it did not bode well for the Dark Lord. The Horcuxes were the key to his immortality. By splitting his soul into fragments, even if his body was destroyed, as long as one of the Horcruxes has him anchored to the world, he cannot be killed… The main soul would simply lose its body and while it will be excruciatingly difficult, he will be able to return, for he cannot die…

The Dark Lord could not help but feel immense fear and dread of the girl's weapon…

_That sword can destroy me…_

For the sword, which the silver hair called Caliburn, can do something else aside from destroy his Horcruxes…

It can destroy Voldemort's main soul fragment itself. Instinctively, the Dark Lord knew. Even if the Horcruxes exist, and thus anchor him to the world, the particular piece of his soul, which was himself, could be destroyed. Even if the parts of his soul that he split were still around… and may even be able to resurrect themselves by themselves… he himself would still die. And he did not want to die. Voldemort did not want to die… His other soul fragments were him, yet at the same time, they were not him… The main purpose for their creation was to anchor Voldemort to life, yet while it may keep him in existence, the Dark Lord's main soul fragment itself will disappear… Voldemort as a whole might not die… but he, the main soul, will still die…

The girl had now become as great a threat as Albus Dumbledore... and it appears as if the two were actually working together. If that was the case…

_Something must be done…_ thought the Dark Lord, as he gritted his teeth in anger and annoyance.

Voldemort cannot allow this to continue. He needed to reassess his plans and priorities.

The Dark Lord started walking to and fro in his chamber, trying to come up with a plan to protect himself, as well as to get rid of the pests that now threaten his very existence…

**-BREAK-**

In an unknown location, after making sure that no one was nearby, two transparent people began engaging in conversation.

"The girl is obviously lying," said an echoing female voice, as a frown appeared on the ghost's face. "I do not recall ever meeting her."

"But that cannot be," gasped the transparent knight, as he placed his hand on his chin, deep in thought. "I was actually sure she telling the truth."

"Well she wasn't," replied the ghost's companion disdainfully. "Were I still alive, I would make her pay for her insolence. To actually go around telling people that she knew me is an insult. And she actually had the nerve to try and fool everyone with a fake Caliburn. She should be thankful that I am in no position to dish out any punishment. Now, if there is nothing else, I am leaving."

The transparent blonde woman in armor had begun to float away when…

"It wasn't a fake," said the grey-eyed knight.

The female knight paused, then went back to face her former subordinate.

"What did you say?" the ghost inquired of her companion quietly.

"It wasn't a fake," the other spirit repeated. "I had been your loyal companion, supporting you for many years. There is no possible way for me to have been mistaken. I saw it with my own two eyes... That was definitely the sword which you pulled out of the stone and anvil all those centuries ago… I'm sure that you felt it as well…"

"But that's impossible," whispered the blonde female ghost quietly. "My sword… my Caliburn has been broken and is lost forever."

"If it helps, my liege," the grey-eyed knight continued. "The girl also knows of your true gender."

The green eyes of the transparent female knight widened for an instant, before narrowing back to normal, the expression on her face once again cold and emotionless, though it was obvious to her companion that she was in a turmoil of emotions…

"Tell me, Bedivere," began the ghost of the blonde female knight. "Who is this person? Where can I find her?"

"Her name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, my King," replied the grey-eyed knight. "She is currently residing and studying magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Well, I've been reading the reviews for a bit and I noticed that some actually commented about how Snape is generally disliked as a character. One actually even commented about how poor Ilya could have actually ended up paired up with him. Well, that doesn't actually bother me personally. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion after all, though I must admit I actually thought that many will change their view of Severus Snape the moment the last Harry Potter Book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, by J.K. Rowling, came out. For in my opinion, that book just showed how cruel a person Lily Evans actually was, and how inconsistent was the statement that the good nature of Harry comes from his mother, a view of things which I totally disagree with. No matter who your parents are, every person is unique, and has their own choice between good and evil… and Harry simply made his own choice, regardless of who his parents were. Well, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and that includes me.

Anyway, I'm glad that there are people who enjoy reading my fanfic. I really enjoy writing, and one of my favorites is writing about underdogs in my stories (This is one reason why I still like Harry Potter as a character, as he was still an underdog even though he was the main character. And since he was, basically, used by Dumbledore as his dog and puppet, hell, Snape even said he was a swine raised for slaughter, which was true in a way.) and letting them triumph.

So like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter…

Later then, people…


	50. CHAPTER 48

**CHAPTER 48: THE MINISTER OF MAGIC**

(Severus POV)

THUD!

"Guh!"

"You are not paying attention," said a monotonous female voice, as she pointed one of her wooden swords at the young man with raven-hair, who was once again down on the floor, flat on his behind. " You are faring at a worse rate than yesterday. Had this been a real battle, I would have killed you several times already. Focus, Sev, focus..."

It was almost twelve noon. Severus Snape was finding it really difficult to concentrate on his training. After all that happened that morning, it should come as no surprise, and because of his distraction, he was performing really poorly in their training spar.

"Alright, let's take a break for now," said the silver-haired female, as she brought out the food which she got from the kitchens.

A badly concealed groan was heard from Alice, as she began to grudgingly eat some beef steak. And from the look on Rose's face, who was the black-haired female's sparring partner. it was obvious that the two have the same opinion with regards to the matter, and the raven-haired young man was also in silent agreement with them…

Unfortunately, Ilya did not have any time to cook for them that day, which meant that they had no choice but to settle for the food that was prepared by the Hogwarts House Elves. While the meals they prepared were always quite good, for some reason there was something missing from them. Ilya's dishes, as far as the group was concerned, was superior in quality compared with the ones cooked by the House Elves, no offense meant to the little creatures, it was just an honest opinion. There was simply some factor that they couldn't quite comprehend, that made what Ilya cook better than theirs.

Still, Severus' attention was currently more focused on other things, and one of them was Ilya's sword fighting style.

Even though he was just a novice, the raven-haired young man could not help but notice the great difference in the styles she had been using. When they were training, the silver-haired girl always fought with twin swords. It was indeed an effective technique, and in truth, while Severus had been vastly improving with his own swordsmanship, he had never managed to beat her, not even once. Still, the style that she was teaching him and the style that she was using when they spar were different. While Ilya was using that particular style, the instructions she had been giving Severus were meant for a different, one-sword-based, fighting method…

Which the raven-haired young man now recognized as the one Ilya had used against the giant. The particular sword style that Ilya was teaching him was actually one which the silver-haired girl had never once yet used in their spars, and now he had seen her use it in a serious confrontation. And if she was capable of utilizing two different fighting stances, it was likely that she could make use of other techniques, aside from the ones he had seen so far.

Then again, Ilya happened to have a countless number of blades, and if Severus were to take a wild guess, the silver-haired female was probably adept at using most, if not every single one of her weapons…

Severus could not help but wonder, just how skilled a swordswoman his girlfriend truly was…

All of a sudden, just as the group was about to resume with their training, having finished their lunch, something glowing and silvery entered the room…

"Ms. Emiya," began a familiar voice, which can only belong to a certain silver-bearded old man. "Please come to the Hospital Wing at once. This is an urgent matter…"

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

It had been a most annoying day for the silver-haired female. Even now, as she and her friends began heading for the Hospital Wing, they had been receiving a lot of unpleasant stares from the students they passed by along the way. It was indeed not a good feeling, what with all that happened, the giant, the ghosts, specially the spirit of a certain knight who introduced himself as a trusted companion of King Arthur (and proved it without even trying to do so), and…

_By the Root, he knows where it is,_ thought the silver-haired girl with a frown.

For Ilya now recalled another complication which was added to the already complicated situation. Their secret base, their refuge and safe haven, was no longer a secret… at least, not from a certain ancient-looking wizard who goes by the name Albus Dumbledore… not only that, he definitely knew how to breach its protective enchantments…

It was most disturbing. Despite all of the defenses she had placed around the area, the Hogwarts Headmaster was still able to send a message through to her, as if the protections the silver-haired female had placed were nonexistent. Just the day before, Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix friend, 'flew by' to deliver the Headmaster's message, without activating any of the defenses, even the alarms…

This time, the Headmaster had sent one of his spells, his Patronus Charm, with the same purpose, and this action confirmed Ilya's suspicion.

Dumbledore, in the beginning, had no idea, had no knowledge of the place they were utilizing. And he only found out about it was because of the fiery bird which was his friend and ally, probably sharing its vision. Still…

The best way for someone or something,, to be able to penetrate through the most powerful ones of Ilya's combination magecraft and magical traps and protections (Unknown to anyone but her and Sev, she had actually placed some defenses which were, literally, deadly.) is for them to not have any maliscious intent, or in the case of spells, for them to not have any harming aspect, or not recognized by the Bounded Field (Ilya still had a lot of research to do on spells and their effects to further enhance her defenses barriers, as simply making the barrier negate anything with magical energy, while effective in a way, also had its weaknesses, specifically with regard to friendly spells.). The defenses Ilya had placed are actually able to sense the presence of negative emotions in the air, and thus will react to any person or creature with a negative purpose… which means that the Headmaster most probably did not intend to cause them any harm…

Dumbledore had not informed her as to the reason why he was asking for her presence, but as far as he knew the old man, it was probably important, and her friends were determined to go with her. Although Ilya was reluctant to bring them along, she did not let them notice it and simply agreed, although on the condition that they kept their Magic Circuits active, explaining to them the reason behind it. It was always best to take precautions, after all…

In truth, during the time that Ilya had been summoned by Dumbledore to his office, her three companions actually wanted to go with her. However, no matter how much they insisted, she could not allow it, utilizing the excuse that she was the only one the Headmaster called for. At the time, the silver-haired female was unsure of what the old Headmaster was up to. She had studied about Occlumency and Legilimency, the latter actually involving the development of some form of Mystic Eyes, and judging from the power that emanated from the old silver beard, he probably had one, and probably had it at a high level. It was possible that Dumbledore was planning to extract information from her through that means, and that was unacceptable…

However, when Ilya went to his office, the old man did not even attempt to do something within those lines. Ilya already had a bit of experience with Legilimency. The process actually involved some kind of connection between two minds… and for the mind connection to exist, a prana/magical energy connection must also be put in place, similar to what she had experienced with the Sorting Hat, though that case did not require eye contact.

Ilya, acting cautiously, activated her Magic Circuits to prevent any foreign energy from entering her body through eye contact. However, while the old man did indeed try and make their eyes meet, actually succeeding, no burst of energy came from him when he did so. It was as if he was using other means of reading her other than invading her mind….

Although Ilya found it hard to believe at first, her conversation with the Headmaster only strengthened her theory… Dumbledore, was indeed powerful and formidable, matching or probably even surpassing Voldemort, as well as Medea, the Caster of the 5th Holy Grail War, in raw magical power, and far more likely than not to have a vast arsenal of spells to match her in a battle of magic. However, he was too soft, too forgiving, too unwilling to be the cause of death of others, willing to give people second chances- a trait which, ironically, would probably end up causing even more loss of life…

CRASH!

"Ow… ow…" muttered the silver-haired female, as she rubbed her nose…

"ILYA! Are you alright?" shouted three voices together worriedly, as they helped her back up on her feet…

"I'm fine," replied the white-haired female, keeping her voice calm and composed. In truth, she was actually in pain. Having been too deep in her own thoughts, Ilya had barely noticed were she was going, and now she paid the price for not paying attention (which, ironically, was the same offense she had been reprimanding Sev for just a while back). She was lucky enough not to have broken her nose or wounded it too badly. Otherwise, blades would have probably began sprouting around the injury…

Still, the silver-haired girl and her companions did not have any more time for reprieve. The door she had slammed into, the door of the Hospital Wing, suddenly opened…

And the timing was yet again… unfortunate. For Rose and Alice had been absentmindedly leaning on the door. And thus, the two females having been caught off guard, the result was…

"Whoa…"

THUD!

"Ow, my back…" grumbled Alice, as she rubbed her spine. On her side, Rose was mirroring her action, probably due to the fact that she had fallen in the same fashion...

"Ah. Ms. Emiya and company, so good of you to join us," greeted a familiar silver-bearded old man.

The silver-haired female could hardly contain a scowl, after realizing that the Headmaster was obviously the one who opened the door. Judging from the twinkle that flashed in his eyes, it was obvious that he was aware of their arrival...

Before she could think of any word of insult for the old Headmaster, however…

"?!"

The silver-haired female found herself in a very tight, vice-grip-like embrace, which made it somewhat difficult to breathe.

At first, Ilya thought that it was Evelyn. Rufus' sister. After all, she was fond of trapping Ilya and her boyfriend in her choke-like hugs. However…

The young girl who was currently latched on to her was a blonde, and Evelyn's hair color was brown. Also, while Evelyn normally cried out in delight when she saw them, the one currently embracing her had not said a single word, remaining quiet. But more importantly…

Her vibe… it was different. Rufus' sister had a somewhat cheerful aura, and she seemed to have a positive outlook in life. The girl who currently had her arms wrapped around Ilya at the moment, however…

Had a cold and lonely air about her...

"Daughter, restrain yourself," said a commanding voice, undoubtedly meant for the girl.

The young blond female, however, merely shook her head without a word, not letting go of Ilya…

"Daughter, restrain yourself," the man repeated, without a change in his stern tone. This time, however, he hit the floor, although without much force, with his walking stick as he did so…

Ilya felt the blonde girl shake in fear, before she let go of the silver-haired female, walking back to her bed in the Hospital Wing…

The silver-haired girl could feel her anger rising, as she tried to maintain her composure, fighting the urge to inflict pain upon the adult blonde male, whose actions somehow reminded her of a certain hateful, despicable old man…

"I apologize for my daughter's rude behavior," said the man with blonde hair, the tone of his voice switching from being commanding to one which was formal and accommodating, as a smile appeared on his face.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ronald Dreamweaver, the Minister of Magic…"

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

"… I am Ronald Dreamweaver, the Minister of Magic…"

"Good afternoon, Minister," the silver-haired girl greeted back formally, doing a curtsy as she did so. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you…"

It had been a rather hectic day for a young man with raven hair who went by the name Severus Snape. First, their early morning jog was interrupted by a giant with a hostage. Then, Ilya used a what-in-the-name-of-Merlin powerful sword to rescue the hostage and eliminate the monster, the silver-haired female calling the sword she used as Caliburn, which incidentally, was the damn epic blade which was wielded by none other than the legendary King Arthur. Naturally, as a result of her actions, she was once again the center of attention and rumors in Hogwarts, with the students, the teachers and even the ghosts. And if that was not enough, one of the transparent entities even went so far as to approach them to demand information from Ilya, and said ghost actually introduced himself as Bedivere, one of Arthur's most loyal knights.

And to top it off, there was the revelation about King Arthur… the King of Knights was actually a girl!

Thanks to all these events, however, the raven-haired young man was able to keep himself sufficiently composed at the moment. While normally he would have been quite shocked to find himself standing in the same room as the Minister of Magic, thanks to all the used-up adrenaline, it only came as a mild surprise.

"… Richard here actually speaks highly of you," said Dreamweaver, gesturing at a man with short whitish hair by his side, who nodded slightly, as the Minister continued engaging the silver-haired girl in conversation. "To think that you were actually able to outwit You-Know-Who himself…"

It was rather interesting to listen to the exchange which followed. The Minister of Magic, Ronald Dreamweaver, was apparently set on thanking and praising Ilya for her recent actions…

Severus noticed, that aside from the Head Auror, Richard Parker, the Minister had brought with him familiar faces. One of them was a purple-haired female Auror who the raven-haired young man only knew by face. Another one was Evelyn's brother, Rufus Scrimgeour, who nodded in greeting when their eyes met, maintaining his calm and emotionless gesture. And the other one… was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcment…

Bartemius Crouch Sr…

The man with raven hair was almost unable to refrain from smirking, watching the grey-haired man in amusement. Although he was trying to conceal it, it was obvious that Crouch was not pleased with what was going on. The man had definitely not yet given up on trying to catch them, especially Ilya, off-guard, to extract information from them. If it wasn't for the fact that the silver-haired girl managed to get support in the Ministry, in the form of Rufus Scrimgeour and his allies (which include the brown-haired Dark Wizard Catcher's boss, Parker, who happened to be rather close to the Minister), Severus was actually quite sure that Crouch would have immediately seized the first opportunity to have them interrogated, and would probably even go as far as put them in Azkaban (Even though they technically did nothing wrong.), just so that he could get the answers he wants…

Which is why Severus could not help but watch the man in a dilemma with satisfaction, forced to keep his mouth shut and himself in shackles, as he was in the presence of the Minister, his boss, his superior. To be in Dreamweaver's favor is indeed quite an advantage. But then…

"So, anyway, Ms. Emiya… may I call you Ilyasveil? Ilya?" inquired the blonde-haired man, to which the silver-haired female gave a small affirmative nod. "I heard from Barty here that you used some kind of magical artifact to defeat that monstrosity… a magical sword, a weapon of some kind. And if my source was not mistaken, you called it Caliburn?"

At these words, the room suddenly became tense. Judging by the look on the teachers' faces, including Dumbledore's, it was apparent that they had refrained from giving Dreamweaver specific information related to the events that took place, only giving him a general view. Yet here he was, thanks to his Head of Magical Law Enforcement, aware of those very details that were left out…

The Minister gave the grey-haired man beside him a meaningful look, who nodded in acknowledgment before speaking…

"I do believe you ought to give us an explanation, Ms. Emiya," inquired Crouch in his curt voice.

"Well, actually," began Ilya, her voice calm and monotonous. "That sword was actually just a…"

"Do not try and claim that it was a fake, girl," said Crouch, his voice also calm, yet there was a note of satisfaction in it, as he interrupted the silver-haired female, his terse voice implying that he was not about to allow anyone to butt in, as he continued to speak. "I have the testimony of several witnesses who had seen your little exploit, ghosts to be precise, of wizard knights who had been alive during the reign of King Arthur. All of them had matching statements. According to them, the weapon which you wield, the one in your possession is indeed Caliburn."

At these words, the tension in the room increased even further, as Crouch took a deep breath before resuming his speech…

"Now, as I think you all know," continued the grey-haired man as he addressed everyone in the room, his face remaining impassive, yet Severus could not help but notice the smirk that momentarily appeared on it. "Caliburn, The Sword of Promised Victory, is a rare artifact which has been lost for many centuries. It is a sword of legacy, a symbol, as well as property of the people of Britain. It is my belief that an artifact of such historical importance should be under the care of the Ministry of Magic. It does not belong in the hands of a young girl, especially one who is not of British decent…Minister?"

The Magical Law Enforcement Head took one meaningful glance at the Minister, his superior, who nodded at his subordinate.

The raven-haired young man could hardly contain his fury, as the tension in the room was now at an all-time high, as Crouch's words were quite easy to comprehend, and he could not help but feel outraged at what he was suggesting. Severus knew the truth behind Ilya's Caliburn, of course, that it was actually created from her Projection magic, but that did not help to stop him from becoming furious…

"As you said yourself, Ms. Emiya," continued the grey-haired man. "You are neither a relative nor a descendant of Arthur Pendragon, which means that his sword does not rightfully belong to you. I suggest that you do not make things harder for yourself…"

The Head Magical Law Enforcer was barely able to hide his glee, as a hardly visible smile remained on his lips and did not disappear…

"… and hand it over…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out people. Well, I must admit I got sidetracked a bit. Aside from the fact that I have a lot of office and school work to do, I'm also doing rather occupied with other things. For starters, I now have no choice but to keep this little fanfic hobby of mine from a certain person. A girl, about a year younger than me, and is a bit of a jealous and nagging type. And yeah, she gets jealous of anything that catches my attention. And I'd rather that my little fanfiction writing recreation does not become the cause of a rift between us. Lucky for me she doesn't know about it yet, and I intend to keep things that way.

Oh, and yeah, thanks to the one who PM-ED me asking who Poncha was in the previous chapter. Well, technically, that was a screw-up on my part. I edited it already, since when I typed it down I actually thought that it was 'Poppy' that I typed not 'Poncha,' since I'm referring to the school nurse Poppy Pomfrey. At least I got that fixed… although as to how I ended up writing that name in the first play, I doubt I'll ever know…

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter…

Later then, people…


	51. CHAPTER 49

**CHAPTER 49: A BODY MADE OUT OF SWORDS**

(Dumbledore POV)

It had been already quite a stressful day for the faculty of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the Headmaster, and now another complication has presented itself.

The situation was something which the Headmaster knew would arise. After what happened, he had expected the Minister to pay a visit, although he arrived hours earlier than Dumbledore expected. Still, he had managed to prepare for it before it came about despite that fact...

Dumbledore could not help but feel fortunate that the Minister of Magic, Ronald Dreamweaver, happened to hold him in great respect and high regard. Had that not been the case, he was sure that he would have already been sacked from his position as Hogwarts Headmaster. Having his own daughter kidnapped was not exactly something which any father would take lightly, and indeed Dreamweaver was rather infuriated about it, although the Headmaster was not sure whether he was worrying more for his daughter's sake or for his own, since the conversation with the Minister seemed to suggest both.

The fact that the Minister's daughter was already going to Hogwarts had been kept as discreet as possible, and the teachers were the only ones supposed to know about it. But then again, with Voldemort having spies in the Ministry, if he found out about it, it was not really surprising.

Using his years of experience dealing with people, as well as the natural charismatic power of his voice (which had nothing to do with magic), the Hogwarts Headmaster, along with the faculty, managed to convince the Minister of their points, and thus avoided conflict with the man.

Still, while Dumbledore managed to twist the facts (meaning he told the truth, but manipulated his wordings to show it in a less negative light), there was one issue, without any direct relevance to the recent events, which was raised... the Defense Against the Dark Arts position...

The teachers had been telling the students that their present teacher in said subject was busy, The truth, however, was that nobody had applied for the position. In fact, even Dumbledore, with all his connections, had been unable to convince any of his close friends and acquaintances to teach it, undoubtedly afraid of dying at the end of the school year. The subject was believed to have been cursed, and in fact, while there was no evidence of the claim, magical or not, Hogwarts has been unable to keep any teacher for said subject for more than a year, and most of them actually ended up dead, ever since Dumbledore refused to give the position to Lord Voldemort when he applied for it.

And for this matter, the Minister of Magic, upon the apparent suggestion of the Head Auror, Richard Parker, recommended someone willing to teach the subject, and the Hogwarts staff, automatically agreed.

Yes, although it was not exactly as planned, the meeting with Dreamweaver went rather well. Everything was settled...

"I suggest that you do not make things harder for yourself...and hand it over..." said Crouch, in a curt yet also smug fashion.

Or not...

What went on next was something which even Dumbledore had not anticipated...

When the Minister and his company arrived at Hogwarts, the teachers had told them about the events which happened, but only in summary. Knowing full well that some of the information were sensitive, the Headmaster decided that it would be best leave out certain details of the incidents...

And yet, Dreamweaver was aware of those exact bits of information which Dumbledore had opted to refrain from telling them about. To make matters worse, the Headmaster's prediction of what would happen if such details were to be known, turned out to be correct. The Hogwarts Headmaster was sure who it was who gave the information to the Minister. There was no doubt about it. It was the Bartemius Crouch Sr., Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

If Voldemort had spies inside the Ministry, he also had them at Hogwarts (And they were not limited to the twenty students that had recently returned to the school). However, that does not mean that the Dark Lord is the only one who had them. And the speed at which the information managed to reach the ears of the Minister is proof of that. Crouch definitely had his own eyes and ears within the walls of the castle. And if Dumbledore was not mistaken, it was likely that one of them...

Was the man's son, Barty Crouch Jr.

Dumbledore knew. He was aware that Ilyasveil had allies in the Ministry, which probably included the young, talented, Dark Wizard Catcher Rufus Scrimgeour, as well as his boss, the Head of the Auror Office, Richard Parker, who happened to be an long-time trusted friend of the Minister of Magic, and overall, having such connections can be quite advantageous, one of which was putting pressure on the media. Even though the details Hogwarts Express Incident had definitely spread throughout the Wizarding Community, the press had not published anything about it, which means that the Ministry was probably using its influence to keep them quiet. Yes, the events were shocking,. However, without the media's sensationalism, it died down eventually, faster than if it had been in the news. While many in the Wizarding Community knows about it, it was probably now treated more as a rumor than as a fact.

And based from their reactions, especially Scrimgeour, the silver-haired girl was probably not just an ally, but a friend, not to mention the fact that Ilyasveil and Severus Snape were actually really close to the Auror's sister Evelyn. Dumbledore knew of what happened to the girl on the first day of classes, and the aftermath that resulted from it. While the Headmaster was not aware of all the details, he knew that Ilyasveil was responsible for the considerable change of the resident Hogwarts spirit of chaos, Peeves the poltergeist. While said spectre still continued to wreak havoc, he now avoided attacking first years, as well as the Ravenclaws, in the same way that he avoided pranking Slytherins for fear of the Bloody Baron. The only disturbing fact was that if Peeves was afraid of the Baron, he was actually far more terrified of the silver-haired female, and up to present, would flee, screaming in panic, whenever their paths crossed.

Yes, the silver-haired girl had influential supporters inside the Ministry, one of whom was close to the Minister himself, and this was probably the reason why, despite certain string of events, particularly the Hogwarts Express incident, that she remained untouched. However...

If she had people supporting her, there would also be those against her, and it is not limited to the ones who support Lord Voldemort. And one such person was the Head Magical Law Enforcer, Barty Crouch.

While the man's stand was without a doubt, against the Dark Lord, he was also without a doubt, not on Emiya's side. According to Alastor Moody, on the 31st of August, the night of the train incident, Crouch had actually ambushed, tried to capture for interrogation, the silver-haired female and her companions, but failed (Moody was actually in total agreement with the course of action taken by the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, viewing the girl as a threat). Had it not been for the fact that the Minister had given out a direct order that her case was to be handled by the Auror Office, particularly placing it in the hands of Rufus Scrimgeour, and that they alone had authority, events could have taken a rather unpleasant turn. Crouch backed down at the time, but the man was not the type to give up so easily...

And now he had made his move, and an extremely clever one at that. He had probably been biding his time, waiting for a slip-up, an opening, or anything between the lines that he can take advantage, and now he had found one.

It was actually despicable, and quite underhanded, in Dumbledore's opinion, to use a person's action of bravery and heroism, as a means to cripple or incriminate them. But Crouch was such a man, shrewd and calculating, who would make use of any chance that presents itself, as long as he did not get into trouble for it, to push forward his own goals.

It probably did not matter to Crouch, whether the Caliburn, the sword which was used by Ilyasveil to take out the giant was real or not (Although Dumbledore also did not give it much thought, he also suspected that it was the real thing.). All that mattered to the Ministry official was that it was an opportunity he could utilize. With a bit of patience, information gathering, reasoning, and word manipulation, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement managed to manipulate things to come up with a set up, in which his target was cornered. Having successfully gotten the Minister interested, the silver-haired girl was now in a tight spot, just like Crouch wanted.

If the girl were to agree, and willingly surrender her sword, whether it was truly Caliburn or not, the Ministry would have an ancient relic in their midst, one which could be preserved and studied, and might somehow prove useful in their efforts against Lord Voldemort.

But more importantly, if the girl were to refuse, as Crouch was hoping she would do, then it would bring about even worse consequences. First, she would lose favour in the eyes of the Minister, and the Ministry as a whole. In effect, the ones who were supporting her, and speaking highly of her to Dreamweaver (Which included the Head Auror Richard Parker, who Dumbledore knew was someone Crouch disliked, both professionally and personally, as a rival in politics, and as someone who had a different view of things.), will also lose their credibility. Once that happens, Crouch would be free to abuse the power of his position, and will undoubtedly have the girl (And judging from Crouch's ambitious nature, as well as her friends. And the man will probably attempt to include his political adversaries Scrimgeour and Parker to the list as well) taken in for questioning, and if things go right, have her chucked into Azkaban.

Whatever the case, whichever one of the two courses of action the girl decides to take, she still ends up the loser.

Realizing this, Dumbledore decided that it was time for him to step in, before the situation gets out of hand, and help the girl who he had chosen as his successor. He would use his debating and convincing skills, which he had acquired through the years, to help get Ilyasveil out of the tight situation she was in. Before the Headmaster could say a word, however...

"I'm sorry," began the silver-haired female. "But what you are asking for is impossible..."

**-BREAK-**

(Crouch Sr. POV)

For someone whose true patience was as short as Bartemius Crouch's, waiting games were among the most difficult of endeavours. He wanted to act immediately, to make his move as soon as possible, but with the current situation, it was unlikely to bear any fruit. Therefore, he waited... and waited... and waited... and waited...

And it finally paid off...

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement could not have been more pleased. Being patient does have its advantages, and now he had the girl right where he wants her.

It had not been easy task, gathering the silver-haired female. Even his spies had not been able to find any fault in her or her actions. Overall, the girl, as far as the reports of his son of his other agent was concerned, was a typical model student. True, she had created quite an impact on her first night at Hogwarts during the Sorting Hat event. Yes, that bit of information was useful, as Crouch discovered that the girl was an expert Occlumens, but aside from that... nothing, nothing at all. Neither the girl, nor her companions, were doing anything that could merit a Ministry inquiry. Although they do play pranks on teachers occasionally, like the scandal of the Deputy Headmistress being an old maid, the silver-haired female and her group had not been doing anything illegal, as well nothing unique or special. Yes, Ilyasveil was quite the prodigy student, but she has never been caught using a spell that could be considered as Dark Magic, not even once. Such an opportunity never presented itself. It was a shame that his son was in Gryffindor, for it meant that he had no way of monitoring their activities inside the Common Room. Still, Crouch lengthened his patience. He was certain that the girl would do something that would catch attention eventually...

Which she did...

"I'm sorry," said Emiya. "But what you are asking for is impossible..."

Crouch could hardly contain his glee, as he saw the displeased expression on Dreamweaver's face. Taking initiative, the Head Magical Law Enforcer began the next step of his strategy.

Ever since the silver-haired female and her friends entered the Hospital Wing, Crouch had been trying to penetrate their minds through Legilimency, but for some reason he was unable to do. The girl and her companions were undoubtedly accomplished Occlumens, especially to reject a mind scan from someone like himself. Not that it mattered. Whether or not he can get information out of them through discreet Legilimency was no longer relevant. For soon enough, he will be able to do so, with the Ministry's permission, without restraint...

"Are you defying the order of the Ministry, Ms. Emiya?" he inquired in a curt voice. Yes, this was what he had been waiting for.

"No, I'm not," said the silver-haired, her tone seemingly sincere and apologetic. "To be honest, I would only have been too happy to comply. Caliburn does belong to England. However, like I said, it's just not possible."

At these words, Crouch could hardly contain a frown, as the face of the Minister had switched from being stern to one of sympathy and curiosity. Still...

"And what do you mean by that Ms. Emiya?" said Crouch. "What do you mean it is impossible? Would you care to elaborate?"

He still had the advantage. He had expected the girl to try something like this, to beat around the bush with a psychological tactic, but he knew it was useless. No matter what kind of excuse the girl tries to use, it would not suffice. The main point was that she had the sword but she refuses to return it. The moment she implied that she would not return the sword, she had spelled her defeat.

Yes, whether it was real or not, it was already a generally accepted fact, a fact accepted by the Dreamweaver himself, that the sword in her possession was indeed Caliburn, the sword wielded by King Arthur, the man who Merlin favoured. Even if she did manage to temporarily convince the Minister, give things a little more time, and Crouch would be able to manipulate things enough to show things in a negative light, and turn the Minister against her. All he needed was a little bit more patience. Yes, indeed, his plan was a succe...

"?!"

Suddenly, without warning, a golden light engulfed the Hospital Wing...

Crouch, thinking that it might be some kind of trap or harmful spell, pulled out his wand and pointed it in the direction of the silver-haired female, ready to fire a curse at her if anything untoward happened. But then...

_What in the name of Merlin?!_ gasped the grey-haired man in his thoughts, as he unconsciously lowered his wand, as the light mostly dissipated, revealing a...

At that moment, Bartemius Crouch Sr., the shrewd and ambitious Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, had completely forgotten, even for just a moment, about his plans and scheming, at the sight that greeted his eyes, just as a female voice spoke...

"This is Caliburn," she began, as she held the weapon in her hands, "The Sword of Promised Victory..."

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

To say that the people in the Hospital Wing were shocked would be an understatement. No, the sight that greeted their eyes was actually so majestic, that it left them speechless.

Except for the Minister and his companions, the rest of the room's current occupants had already seen it. Yet even they could not help but gasp in awe along with everyone else in the Hospital Wing, at the silver-haired female, and the radiant weapon in her hands. Even Dumbledore himself, while keeping his face calm and impassive had his eyes slightly widened behind his half-moon spectacles, in mild amazement...

Severus watched, as the silver-haired girl now walked towards the center of the room, and placed the golden sword on a table, before the girl took a few steps backward.

Soon, the other people in the room began recovering themselves...

"Merlin's beard," gasped the Minister of Magic in a barely audible whisper, as he approached the table, to get a closer look at the weapon. "So this is the sword that was created by the great Merlin himself..."

And it was indeed a magnificent sword. When Emiya had used it against the giant, the ones who had seen it had been at a distance. But now, upon a closer inspection, it appeared even more majestic...

Dreamweaver now slowly placed his hands around the hilt of the weapon, trembling, hesitating, as if he saw it as something of extreme value, not in a monetary sense, but in a magical sense.

Indeed, the sword was quite the artefact. Just one glance at it told anyone just how much magical power was imbued upon it. But more importantly, aside from the feeling of power that came from the sword... there was just something about it, something about it, that cannot be explained even in magical terms, that made it unique and special...

Clang...

"Ow, it's heavy," muttered Dreamweaver, as he almost lost fell, the swords tip slightly impaling the floor, the Minister using it to maintain its balance.

"But still," began a curt voice, as its owner , Crouch, stared at the silver-haired girl, his eyes narrowing in scrutiny. "How can we be sure that it's the real one? For all we know, the girl might have conjured a fake..."

Upon hearing this, Severus found it hard to control his fury, but before he could open his mouth in response, someone else beat him to it (fortunately enough)...

"It's not a fake," squeaked a voice suddenly. It was the Head of Ravenclaw House, Filius Flitwick, who was now touching the dull part of the blade with his hands. "And even if it isn't Caliburn, this is undoubtedly an excellent blade... rare, one of a kind..."

Everyone in the room turned their eyes downward to look at the short Charms teacher, who had a look of immense ecstasy on his face, as he continued to inspect the golden sword...

"If I'm not mistaken, you are half-goblin... am I correct?" inquired the Minister.

Flitwick merely nodded, then began to speak his insights on the weapon for all to hear, although it seemed more like he was talking to himself...

Severus now remembered. The Charms professor was indeed half-goblin. And goblins were known for having a keen eye for metal and craftsmanship, able to create items, the quality of which cannot be copied or reproduced by magic...

"I have never seen anything like it," muttered the short wizard. "It is indeed a magnificent sword, and I must admit it far surpasses any goblin made ones I have laid my eyes on in my life... an alloy which seems to be far superior even to our metal... _Geminio..."_

Nothing happened. Even though the Charms teacher tried to replicate the sword, nothing was created, not even an inferior copy. Soon, he tried using a variety different spells on the blade, with much the same effect: nothing happened...

"Even if this isn't the Sword of Promised Victory," said Flitwick, as he looked up to face the Minister, looking straight into the taller man's eyes. "I doubt there are any swords, magical or not, in existence that can match it. It is impervious to magic, of that I have no doubt of. Even the Sword of Gryffindor would pale in comparison to this blade. I must admit, whoever created or forged this sword, Merlin or not, puts all the best blacksmiths and sword makers in the world to shame..."

At these words, low gasps can be heard, as they looked at the sword with wonder...

"Very well then, Miss Emiya," said a curt voice, as he took a step forward. "The Ministry thanks you for your cooperation... We will now be taking the sword with us."

At these words, Severus could hear grumbles of outrage from the Rose and Alice, who were standing beside him. And even the teachers seemed unhappy, although they remained silent. Rufus and his boss were the same, although Evelyn's brother actually failed to hide his emotions: he was staring at Crouch with a dark look on his face.

The Minister, with difficulty, now carried the sword with both hands, and was about to hand it over to his grey-haired subordinate when...

"IT'S GONE!" shouted the two men in shock, for the blade had disappeared into nothingness, like mist that vanished into the sunshine. All eyes in the room immediately turned in the direction of the silver-haired female...

Severus was hardly able to control a smirk from forming on his lips at their reaction. He knew of Ilya's Tracing ability, and it seemed like she had chosen that particular moment to make the sword vanish. The action itself would not bring about good results, but the raven-haired young man trusted his girlfriend, and was sure that she knew what she was doing...

Dreamweaver and Crouch were staring suspiciously at Ilya, and the latter opened his mouth to speak, undoubtedly to accuse her of one crime or another, but then...

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as well as the rest of the people in the room, froze, for the silver hair had collapsed to the floor with a soft _thud_, panting...

"ILYA!" shouted Severus, Rose and Alice together, as they rushed forward to support their silver-haired companion...

Dreamweaver had been wearing a mixed look of anger, shock, sympathy and curiosity on his face, but the 'anger' aspect vanished the moment the silver-haired girl spoke again...

"I... ha...I'm really sorry, Minister, but I'm... ha... at my limit," began Ilya, who was still breathing heavily. "I cannot maintain the sword any longer..."

**-BREAK-**

(Rufus POV)

"...but Minister, the sword," began a grey-haired man with a curt voice, but the person he was talking to cut him off...

"The sword stays with the girl, and that's final," stated Dreamweaver, as they walked through the Atrium in the Ministry of Magic...

"But she is a foreigner...and that sword..."

"Is rightfully hers," replied the blonde-haired man, once again cutting off his subordinate, irritation in his tone. "That sword is probably a heirloom, and it is likely to have been with her family for ages. Caliburn or not, she is the only one who can wield it." The Minister sounded disappointed, but was staying firm with his decision.

"But Minister, for all we know, it could all have been an act," said Crouch, his voice monotonous, but there was a pleading note in it. He was undoubtedly referring to the silver-haired girl's collapse. "She was definitely ly..."

"She wasn't lying, nor was her fall an act," said another stern voice, belonging to Richard Parker. "I know it was a bit underhanded of me, but I had been reading the girl through Legilimency. She was telling the truth."

"And why should I believe you, Parker?" inquired the Magical Law Enforcement Head mockingly. "I know you're not that kind of person. And besides, if I cannot read her mind, I doubt you would have been able to.

"I scanned her with Legilimency the moment she fell on the floor," replied the Head Dark Wizard Catcher automatically. "Just like what I teach young Aurors, I never miss a chance to strike at a moment of weakness... don't tell me that my supposed superior at the task, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, overlooked such a good and obvious opportunity? You still lack experience, Crouch..."

A certain brown-haired Auror could not help but smirk, He knew full well that his boss Richard was too noble to do such a thing, yet the statements were enough to make the normally calm Barty Crouch turn red with fury. The grey-haired man had definitely overlooked and missed the chance, and now Richard Parker was rubbing it in his face.

"Why you..."

"Enough, you two," cut in the Minister in a firm voiced, not pleased with his trusted officials arguing with each other.

It was actually a rare, jewel-like moment, seeing Crouch lose his composure. While it was a normal occurrence for Parker and Crouch to be of differing opinions, Scrimgeour had never seen them lose to their emotions. They were professionals after all, and while they engage in argument, as far as Scrimgeour remembered, neither one had ever raised their voice before, and dealt with things calmly...

Until now, that is...

In truth Rufus had been worried. He knew that the grey-haired man had been after the silver-haired female as much as he had been going after Voldemort. And an opportunity to do just that had presented itself.

The moment Ilya and her companions entered the Hospital Wing, Scrimgeour actually used Legilimency on her, not to penetrate her mind, but to send her an unspoken warning. And thankfully enough, she noticed, and actually shot a Legilimency probe back at him, which Rufus understood as a wordless 'I know, thank you for the warning.' Just to make sure, Rufus did the same on the other three, and while they did not react, he was unable to penetrate their minds, and that had put him a bit more at ease...

But only a bit. Upon listening to the man's conversations with the Minister a little while before, Rufus had become aware of his plans, and even Occlumency would not be able to do anything against it...

Still, in the end, there had been nothing to worry about. While the Sword of Promised Victory somehow shocked and amazed Scrimgeour, he was actually more concerned about the meeting's outcome than the artefact. And indeed, he was impressed... much more impressed with his friend than with her sword...

Ilya was indeed quite the character. It should have come as no surprise after all. She was actually skilled enough in psychological warfare to fool and manipulate Lord Voldemort. She claimed that it was just luck, that it was just a fluke, and Rufus, while she knew of the girl's talents, initially thought so as well...

Now, however, he was sure that it was not simple luck that got them out of the tight spot during the Hogwarts Express Incident. Yes, luck may have also been a factor, but Ilya's conversational manipulation and skill was definitely not a fluke. She was really, really good at it...

Still, Rufus could not help but think about it. He knew this wasn't the end of it. Crouch was certainly not the kind of person to give up, as well as not the forgiving kind. The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was bound to try something again. Still...

It wouldn't hurt to enjoy the show for the time being...

The young Dark Wizard Catcher could not help but smile with satisfaction, as he watched the argument between his mentor and Crouch (Which the latter, having lost control of his emotions, was losing), that resumed the moment the Minister was out of earshot...

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

"So it was all just an act, then?" inquired a black-haired female who went by name Alice.

"Yes," replied the silver-haired girl. "While it is true that maintaining Caliburn can be rather exhausting for me, it was not really to a point that it would make me collapse..." And in a way it was the truth. Maintaining such a powerful relic in existence was difficult.

As of the moment, despite her research, Ilya had not yet found a way to effectively combine her Tracing with what she had learned about Transfiguration. For some reason, even though both types of magic dealt with creating or modifying something using or with the aid of magical energy, they did not seem to be compatible with each other. Yes, Ilya had been a bit successful when it comes to ordinary swords, and items made out of regular materials, yet she had been unable to do the same for those with unique compositions, including Alice's blades, which were made out of goblin metal.

Still, on one note, it might actually be for the best. After all, it was not exactly a good idea to have Noble Phantasms in a semi-permanent state, as there was always the chance that someone might take interest in them, like what just recently happened...

"Are you sure you're alright?" inquired a male voice.

"Yes, Sev, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," replied the silver-haired girl to her boyfriend. "What I think you should be worried about... is that..." Ilya pointed at Rose and Alice, who were in charge of the grills and barbecue...

"Hey!"

"Hmmm?"

Ilya watched with amusement, as the raven-haired young man decided to focus his attention on that matter. For during the first time they had a barbecue picnic... it had been a disaster. Alice at the time, getting impatient, used a spell to strengthen the flames... and ended up turning their meal into coal...

It was four o'clock in the afternoon. After bidding the Minister good day (As well as after convincing, with difficulty, the concerned school nurse, Madam Pomfrey, that she was perfectly fine.), they left the Hospital Wing. Now, Ilya and her companions were currently resting under the shade of a tree near the lake... (At the spot where Ilya had placed defensive spells, which included Privacy Wards.).

Having had a stressful day, the silver-haired girl thought it best to cease their training for the time being, utilizing the time to relax instead.

It was a close call. Bartemius Crouch, just as Scrimgeour had warned them, was indeed a formidable and crafty person, as well as somewhat dishonourable. The man was prepared to use any and all means necessary to push on with his goals. Yes, he was quite the cunning person, and it had not been easy to thwart his plans.

Yes, Ilya knew it was probably the best course of action. To tell them the honest truth: well, partially at least. By Projecting the golden sword, she shocked them into awe. Then, by adding a bit of drama to the mix, she had averted a disaster. The silver-haired girl successfully convinced the Minister, and managed to remain on his good side.

And for that matter Ilya actually had to give credit to her Head of House, Professor Flitwick. It was actually unexpected, yet the silver-haired girl could not help but feel grateful for his earlier comments. Thanks to his insights on the sword, any claims that she was deceiving them (all of which were coming from Crouch) were rendered invalid. The Charms Professor was half-goblin, and therefore was an expert in blades...

And this fact was actually something new to Ilya. Goblins. The Ravenclaw Head of House was actually not a full human, yet she had not noticed. She had not given much thought as to why the Professor was rather short, focusing mainly on learning magic from him. The mixing of races. Yes, these were things that she needed to do more research on. For the Charms teacher definitely had a keen eye for swords and weaponry. Still...

At the moment, while Ilya did give the shrewd Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement a bit of thought, as well as the half-goblin Charms instructor, her mind was actually more focused...

...on Reina Dreamweaver, the Minister's daughter...

At first she did not know much about the man, and was simply thankful for his assistance, which she managed to get due to the fact that she was a friend of Rufus Scrimgeour, who in turn was a trusted subordinate of the Head Auror Richard Parker, who in turn was a close and trusted friend of Ronald Dreamweaver, the Minister of Magic.

But now that she met the man, Ilya could not help but dislike him.

Yes, Dreamweaver was quite the actor, quite the politician. While he may act a bit incompetent, acting a bit cheerful, and apparently relying on his subordinates to do the talking (a role which Crouch was only too happy to do), he was not someone to be taken lightly. To many, as Ilya guessed, he might appear like someone who was easy to manipulate and turn into a puppet, but the silver-haired female knew that it was just a facade.

And the man was strict with his daughter. No, strict would not suffice as a description... the Minister was probably cruel to her daughter. Judging from the young blonde girl's reaction, she was probably treated and trained harshly, and it brought back some painful memories for Ilya...

Her grandfather...

Sakura's grandfather...

Yes, the head of the Einzbern family, Jubstacheit von Einzbern, made Ilya's life a living hell. She was treated as nothing but a tool, forced to go through the harshest and most dangerous experiments, to prepare her for the Holy Grail War. In fact, these experiments had started even when she was still in the womb of her mother... and as a result of this, Ilya's lifespan had been limited. Had it not been for Shirou's sacrifice, she would have been dead already. (Ilya was actually originally a vessel for the Holy Grail, the sacrifice upon which the cursed thing could manifest itself, although that particular aspect was no longer applicable to her. She was now human, and she no longer had a connection to the Grail, although since the Grail was destroyed, it did not really matter.). To turn her into a master that was assured of winning the Grail War, that was the goal of her despicable grandfather...

The Matou family (originally known as Makiri) head was the same, and based from what Ilya found out, the old magus was just as cruel, or even worse than her own grandfather. Sakura Matou was, at first, was someone who Ilya disliked, probably due to the fact that she happened to be a Holy Grail just like herself. Eventually though, as time passed, the two became as close sisters.

And the Matou method of training was even worse. Zouken Matou had implanted the remains of the Holy Grail in the 4th war into Sakura, Rin's biological sister, to turn her into an ideal Master and vessel... in the form of... worms. Yes, her life had been just about as horrible as Ilya's. In fact, from the silver-haired girl's point of view, she might have had it even worse than her. Sakura was abused, raped, corrupted, and the worms that were implanted on her caused her to constantly feel intense carnal desire, worms that would eventually destroy her mind.

In fact, Ilya's grandfather might actually have been the kinder of the two cruel bastards, although it was far more likely that they simply differed in method. At least Acht did not have her abused in the same manner as Sakura, and in fact her limited life span might actually have been a blessing in disguise... Ilya would not have long to suffer. Sakura, on the other hand... it was obvious that Zouken planned to use her as a puppet, and probably planned to keep her for as long as possible, and if her mind breaks down, then so much the better, for it would have made manipulating her easier...

Not that it mattered anymore. The two damned magi were already dead. It had been difficult dealing with them, especially Zouken, for the worms he had implanted into Sakura were actually part of him. But in the end they managed to destroy him without hurting her. The despicable heads of the Einzbern and Matou families were disposed of and sent to their graves... Rin and Ilya made sure of that...

And now the silver-haired girl met a young blonde who reminded her so much of Sakura. Ilya was not sure of what kind of, or the extent of the abuse, but from based from her reactions, whatever she had gone through, was undoubtedly a nightmarish experience...

Yes, Ilya was grateful, truly grateful, to Ronald Dreamweaver, the Minister of Magic. The man's influence was one of the main reasons why she had managed to avoid getting into trouble. However, he will only ever remain an ally in Ilya's eyes, never a friend. For even though it was just for a brief moment, Ilya had gotten a glimpse of how the Minister treated her daughter, something which she detested...

The young silver-haired magus was deep in thought, trying to think of ways to help Reina Dreamweaver, the girl who reminded her so much of her dearly departed friend and family...

_?! _thought the silver-haired girl, as she was brought out of her reverie...

"Is something wrong Ilya?" inquired Rose, seeing her friend stand up suddenly, with a look of surprise on her face...

"No, it's nothing," replied the silver-haired female.

She was lying...

The silver-haired girl glanced around to try and pinpoint what it was that caused her discomfort...

_I must be imagining things,_ thought Ilya to herself, as she shook her head.

For she had felt something. It was impossible, farfetched, and far from reality, magic or not. Yet for a brief moment, Ilya had been sure that she had sensed a very familiar presence.

**-BREAK-**

(Dumbledore POV)

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Enter." said a voice from inside the office, and the visitor, with difficulty due to his short stature, opened the door and entered...

"Ah, Filius," greeted Dumbledore, as the man entered his office. "Have a seat..."

The Charm Professor took his seat, then with a flick of his, increased the length of its legs so that he would be face to face with the Headmaster...

"Lemon drop, Filius? Cockroach Cluster?" offered the silver-bearded old man.

"I think I'll pass, Albus," squeaked Flitwick. "You know I'm not fond of sweet things. And as I think I, as well as many others have told you several times already, you should drop that habit of yours. Too much sugar at your age is not good for your health..."

"True," replied Dumbledore, sighing, as he levitated the jar of snacks he had offered his colleague back to its place. "But for some reason I just can't get enough of them... after all, like some people say, old habits die hard or never a t all. Anyway, Filius, what brings you to my office at such a late hour? It is already ten in the evening, and as I think you know, lack of sleep is not good for the health of someone of my age..."

"Sorry about that," replied the Head of Ravenclaw. "But there is an important matter I would like to discuss with you..."

"And that would be?" inquired the Headmaster.

"It's about one of the students in my House," replied the short teacher. "Ms. Emiya."

Silence reigned in the room for a moment, as the Headmaster's eyes narrowed slightly. He had rarely heard his old friend Filius talk in such a serious tone.

"That girl," began the Charms Teacher, without the squeaky note in his voice. "She is... special..."

"Indeed she is," replied the Headmaster, nodding. "She is quite gifted for her age, and talented with magic. If I remember correctly, according to the records she submitted, she had been studying magic on her own, yet she had managed to surpass her fellow students, who already had four years of magical education."

"No, you don't understand," stated Flitwick, who sounded rather shaken, much to Dumbledore's surprise. "Did you not notice it, Albus?"

At these words, the silver-bearded old man now looked at his colleague in the eye, and noticed the awe and amazement that was there...

"I still do not understand, Filius," inquired the Headmaster.. "What is it that I did not notice?"

"That girl," began the Charms Professor, and his voice was trembling slightly. "She is no ordinary witch. To be honest with you, the moment I first saw her, I had already sensed something, yet I had not given it much attention, thinking that it was just my imagination. But now, I'm sure of it. I cannot possibly be mistaken..."

"What do you mean?" asked the Headmaster, his curiosity rising.

"That sword she wields, Albus..."

"You mean Caliburn? You think it's the real one?"

"No, that's not it!" cried Flitwick, almost shouting in exasperation. "Yes, I'm sure it was real, but that's not the point!"

Another moment of silence passed, as Dumbledore observed his friend and colleague, who was acting strangely, far less composed than usual.

"Would you care to enlighten me, Filius?" inquired Dumbledore in a calm voice. "I must confess, I honestly don't know what you are trying to say..."

The Charms teacher took a deep breath, apparently to regain himself, before speaking...

"Ms. Emiya," began Flitwick, trying to keep his voice under control. "She is unique. When I first saw her use magic I already had my suspicions, and now it has been confirmed. In truth, I do not know how it was even possible, but then again, magic does make so many impossible things possible..."

The short man took another deep breath before he continued, as Dumbledore listened with interest...

"To be honest with you, I still do not understand everything. Like you, I am still mostly in the dark when it comes to that girl... But there is one thing that I am sure of, Albus... Ms. Emiya, she emits a strange aura, a strange vibe which I somehow recognize. I do not know how , but I'm sure of it... I'm half-goblin, Albus... I can tell from her presence..."

The Charms Professor once again paused, to recompose himself, before continuing to speak...

" The Caliburn she showed us, it was probably the real thing...but there is more to it than that Albus... It was as if the sword was part of her... no, it was as if she herself was the sword... I know it might sound as crazy as Xenophilus Lovegood managing to prove the existence of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks...but I had actually felt the presence of different kinds of metal and blades coming from her..."

At these words, the Headmaster's blue eyes, instead of narrowing further, slightly widened in wonder...

"It's almost as if..." muttered Flitwick in an almost-whisper...

"... her body is made out of swords..."

**-BREAK-**

(Ilya POV)

It was eleven o'clock in the evening. A silver-haired girl was currently standing inside a vacant room near the dungeons. It was a large, unused classroom. Old, ruined and unused chairs and tables were piled on one corner, leaving the rest of the room an empty space...

The silver-haired female had snuck out of Ravenclaw Tower for a night time stroll, alone. Yes, it was risky. Ilya had decided to walk around without using a Disillusionment Charm on herself, or the Invisibility Cloak she got from the Marauders, but somehow, she felt that it was necessary. Using her improved version of the Marauder's Map, Ilya managed to avoid meeting the caretaker, Peeves (The poltergeist may be terrified of Ilya and will definitely not bother her, but his screams of terror would probably attract too much attention.), the school ghosts, or any of the teachers, and succeeded in finding a secluded spot...

True, she had promised Sev that she would tell him whenever she was planning to go out at night, but this time she opted not to... for this time, it was something that she had to settle by herself...

"I know you're there," said Ilya loudly . If anyone had seen or heard her, they might have thought of two things: either she was crazy for talking to herself, or else she was talking to some invisible entity.

"Show yourselves!"

After a few moments, as if in response, two semi-transparent beings, ghosts, materialized in front of her...

One of them was Bedivere, the spirit who the silver-haired female and her companions had just talked to earlier that day...

And the other one...

Was a blonde-haired female, wearing blue clothes behind a silver armour, and had a cold and stern look on her face. Her green eyes, which were somewhat similar, yet had a deeper, darker hue compared to Ilya's own emerald pair, noticeable despite the fact that she had a pearly-white glow, were slightly narrowed. At first glance, for someone who did not know her personally, judging from her clothes and the way she carried herself, it was possible to make the mistake of thinking she was a young boy...

Ilya could not help but feel her heart beat faster, as a storm of emotions started swirling inside her, caused by the sight that greeted her. She knew who had been following her... she had already seen who it was by looking at the map, and yet...

_Saber,_ thought the silver-haired girl to herself, with a mixture of joy and sadness, barely managing to hold back the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Once again I've been reading the reviews and I must say I'm glad that even though Snape is not exactly a popular character, there are people who find reading my work enjoyable...

Now, as for the comment that I got Caliburn and Excalibur mixed up, no that is not the case. The conversations as well as the descriptions I've used in the chapters, with Ilya calling it the "Sword of Promised Victory," was deliberate. Yes, I know. In the Nasuverse, Caliburn is the sword that was pulled out from the stone while Excalibur was given to Arturia by the Lady of the Lake, and it was indirectly stated that the King of Knights was much more fond of her first sword than of the second...

The two swords, have different abilities. Excalibur's ability is a powerful, ranged, anti-fortress laser-like beam of light, while Caliburn's strongest attack is effective in melee, and if stabbed into the enemy, the light would destroy the target from within...

However, as of the moment, the only ones who know about this are Ilya, and at least a couple of others, though I think you'll be able to guess who they are. The people in the Wizarding World of HP universe do not know about it at all. As for how they viewed the legend of King Arthur, specifically the part of the legend involving the swords, well it is already implied, although I might indirectly reveal it in the succeeding chapters. Remember that there are many variations of the story regarding Excalibur, Caliburn, and the sword in the stone. In fact, generally, Caliburn and Excalibur refer to the same sword, the one given by the Lady of the lake whereas the sword pulled out of the stone and anvil is a nameless blade...

Anyway, that's all I'll be saying for now, since it might make things less exciting if I reveal too much.

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	52. CHAPTER 50

**SPECIAL CHAPTER**

**CHAPTER 50: A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST**

**Fuyuki City, Japan, Alternate Universe, December 2006**

(Shirou Emiya POV)

Ding! Dong!

"WE'RE HOME!"

Soon the door was opened, by a silver-haired young female with ruby-red eyes.

"ONII-CHAN!" cried the girl happily, as she tackled a red-haired young man, into a vice grip-like embrace.

"Guh!" the boy blurted out, gasping for breath, as the small female began to swing around, using his neck as support. "Ilya... you're choking me... Saber, a little help please..."

The blonde woman, however, instead of helping out, ignored him, and instead, was slowly walking, almost as stealthily as an Assassin Class Servant, away from the scene... However...

"SABER!"

"Guh!"

Unfortunately, the King of Knights was a bit too late, for the silver-haired female had now dislodged herself from her brother and had now latched on to her instead, rubbing her face against her chest...

"Shirou!" gasped the petite blonde, looking pleadingly at the young man who was her lover...

"Saber," said the red-haired magus. "I'm off to the kitchens to cook dinner. Please look after Ilya for a while..."

The female blonde was about to open her mouth in protest, but closed it again, deciding not to. After all, it was best not to disturb Shirou while he was at work in the kitchens. It was already a proven fact that while the man's dishes were excellent, the quality goes down a peg or two if he was distracted. And even someone like Saber, who did not really have a particular type of food she likes, and far from being a cuisine expert, noticed...

**-BREAK-**

It had been, more or less, a year since the events of the 5th Holy Grail War. Things were finally quiet and peaceful.

As Shirou put on his apron and began cooking, the red-haired magus briefly recalled the events of the War, which he and his friends managed to survive together...

It was a war between fourteen participants. Seven Masters, each one with a Servant, a heroic spirit who wields tremendous power, and had accomplished glorious deeds during their lifetime, were to battle against each other.

The objective of the war? To eliminate all opposition and be the last Master and Servant pair standing...

And somehow, Shirou Emiya got himself dragged into it...

"Master Emiya," inquired a voice, belonging to a silver-haired woman who went by the name Seyla, identical yet taller than Ilya, who entered the kitchen along with another female. "Is there anything we can do to be of assistance?"

"Yes," replied Shirou. "Could you please prepare the table for dinner? We will be having guests tonight."

"Understood, Master Emiya," replied the woman's companion Leysritt, who also had identical silver hair and ruby-red eyes, as they left the kitchen.

"Oh, and please stop calling me Master Emiya," the red-haired magus called after them. "Just call me Shirou..."

"Understood, Maste... Shirou," came the response.

The man who was cooking dinner sighed. Participant of the Grail War or not, he had always been uncomfortable with people calling him Master. Somehow, he just did not like it, partly because he felt it was demeaning for the other party, partly because he thought that being called that way made it seem like he was an old man...

The two weeks in which the 5th Heaven's Feel happened were, in his opinion, the longest and most memorable times in his life, in a horrible, yet also in a good way...

For the war had caused the death of many innocent people, and in fact, the total number of fatalities was equal to 1/4 of the entire Fuyuki City population, mostly thanks to the fact that Caster managed to form an alliance with Gilgamesh, the Archer from the 4th Holy Grail War, and thus unleashed their terror, without care for the secrecy rule that was supposed to govern the war. Kirei Kotomine, the mediator and secretly the master of Lancer, died by the hands of the King of Heroes, who stated that the reason why he killed the fake priest who was his former ally, was due to the fact that he had become boring and uninteresting, and was thus, no longer worthy of his time.

The Caster-Gilgamesh alliance had been an immense force to reckon with, and it took every ounce of strength from Shirou and his friends to finally bring them down, and the entire duration of the War had caused a lot of damage, both to life and property. For the crafty Medea managed to place the evil that was within the Grail, Servant Avenger, Angra Mainyu, under her control, not to mention the fact that she managed to abduct Sakura, keeping her in an unconscious state. The Witch of Betrayal utilized this to her advantage, by having Sakura form a contract with the non-manifested Servant Avenger, and controlled the shadows created from the combination of All the Evils of the World, and Sakura's element, Magic Numbers. Medea had acquired a lot of power, and set about on destroying the city, as well as the world. For Caster had become somewhat insane, the moment that her Master and lover, Kuzuki Souichiro, died at the hands(worms) of Matou Zouken, as well as the fact that she was deprived of the chance to take her revenge.

For Rin (whose motivation was to save Sakura) and Kotomine (who had an axe to grind with the old magus) had formed a temporary alliance, Archer and Saber faced off and killed Shinji's Servant (although sometime later, Sakura confessed that she had actually been the purple-haired Servant's true Master) Rider and Zouken's Servant True Assassin, while Shirou, the female magus and the fake priest proceeded to get rid of the Head of the Matou family head.

And because of this, Caster, who was deprived of her chance to avenge Kuzuki, let go of all restraints, disregarding the rules of secrecy, and decided to vent out her frustration on the world, pulling out all the stops, and this was what got Gilgamesh's attention, who found it amusing and thus, decided to side with her...

Things had actually escalated to a point that the combined efforts of the Mage Association and the Church were barely able to keep it contained and discreet from the rest of the world. Yes, they had succeeded, but with enormous effort. Waver Velvet, also known as Lord El Melloi II, even commented that the destruction and loss of life was even worse than the previous war. The representative of the Mage Association was the Master of Rider (Iskander, the King of Conquerors) during the 4th war that happened 10 years earlier, and even he was shaken. Still...

Despite all of the pain, suffering, loss, and misery that they had to go through, there was something special, something priceless, which they managed to gain. Not everything was death and loss...

Ding! Dong!

"Saber, could you please open the door?" shouted Shirou, as he poked his head into the dining room.

The blonde female nodded, and went off to open the door, Ilya tagging along beside her...

Soon the dining room was full of visitors...

"Yo," greeted a familiar male voice...

"Good evening, Shirou."

"Sempai..."

Lancer, whose true identity was Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Ulster, and was wearing casual clothes. The Servant with the red spear who was formerly an enemy, and had actually stabbed his weapon through Shirou's heart during their first encounter...

Rin , the school idol and model student, who, as he later discovered, was actually a cold hearted magus (Which also turned out to be also a facade, as the she was actually a kind-hearted person on the inside.), as well as Sakura's biological sister, as well as the one who saved his life after being stabbed by Lancer...

Sakura, Rin's sister, who he had known for almost three years, now the Head of the Matou Family after the death of her adoptive brother and grandfather Shinji and Zouken (officially, at least, but not in spirit)...

"Evening, guys," greeted the red-haired magus. "If you could wait just a bit, it's almost finished... Seyla, could you please serve them some tea?"

The silver-haired female nodded, as she got some teabags out of the drawer, all of which were triangle-shaped ones (Shirou shuddered, as he remembered the killing intent which emanated from Rin Tohsaka, whenever she visited, and discovered that there were no triangle-shaped tea bags available in his house)...

**-BREAK-**

Dinner had been rather quiet, only the sound of china and utensils could heard, and the only words spoken were the occasional 'Please pass the sauce' or 'more rice please.'

Saber and Fuji-nee were indeed, like monsters when it comes to eating. The two had rather bottomless stomachs, and can do so rather quickly and efficiently, although Shirou's blonde Servant and lover managed to retain the elegance in her poise, whereas the teacher failed at the feat. However...

It turned out that even they were no match for the Hound of Ulster, who can devour food at three times as fast as the already incredible rate that Saber and Taiga were at. The first time he joined them for their meal (The time when Rin and Lancer had formed a contract, as the magus had lost her Archer while the Servant of the Spear's Master, the fake priest Kirei Kotomine, was killed by Gilgamesh.), it was a disaster. Cu Chulainn truly deserved one of his titles, 'The Hound of Ulster,' not because of his beast-like prowess in battle, but due to his canine-like eating speed. The group was too busy discussing their plans and course of action against the Witch of Betrayal and the King of Heroes, that they were only eating half-heartedly. When they finally finished and were about to continue with their meal, the food was gone... all gone...

And because of it, they were forced to eat instant noodles, which, after having a bit of the luscious meal that Shirou had prepared, did not taste all that well, not to mention the fact that lack of nutrition might affect their performance in the perilous fights that await them...

Yes, all throughout dinner, everyone was quiet, trying to ensure that they get a satisfactory portion of the meal before all of it was grinded down by the blue-haired spearman. They will not make the same mistake ever again...

**-BREAK-**

"It's been a while, Lancer," stated Saber. "How are you?"

"Oh," replied the blue-haired Servant absentmindedly. "Travelling around the world... getting to know so many people...and these Dead Apostles... yeah, they're good game, not as skilled as you Saber, but more than good enough to keep me from getting bored... and there're many of them out there..." At this a feral grin appeared across Lancer's face. "I'm definitely having the time of my life..."

"I see," replied the blonde-haired former King of Knights. "I'm glad to hear it..."

"Only problem is, I can't even get acquainted with any of the ladies I meet, at least not when she's around, which happens to be almost all of the time..." sighed the Servant of the red spear. "Last time I tried..."

SWOOSH!

CRACK!

"That happened," stated Lancer nervously, who had just dodged something that was aimed for his head.

"Nee-san!" came the voice of Sakura from the kitchens.

"Rin," said Saber sternly, loudly enough for the black-haired female magus to hear, (who was currently in the kitchens doing the dishes along with Sakura), upon seeing the crack on the wall, created by a sharp weapon, a Black Key, which was thrown at the Hound of Ulster. "Could you please refrain from doing that? Much as I sympathize with your predicament, I'd rather not see Shirou's house destroyed..."

"Hey!" growled Lancer, pretending to be upset that the blonde female was not taking his side, but failed, as his face turned into a nervous smile.

"Oh, don't worry Saber," replied the Tohsaka heir coldly. "I'll be sure to repair any damage I cause... just like when I fixed that huge hole in the wall which you created."

"In case you've forgotten Rin," replied the blonde-haired female, and there was the slightest trace of a growl in it. "It was Archer, not me, who was responsible for that..."

The red-haired magus sighed as he watched his companions continue their exchange, wishing that his teacher, Fuji-nee was around, as that would minimize the possibility of his house getting demolished by magic, though unfortunately, the brown-haired female who was like his elder sister had some important matters to attend to.

The Holy Grail War had indeed been a nightmare... no... worse than any nightmare. Still, it was all in the past, and now they had been able to move forward, and continue with their lives.

Sakura was now in officially in charge of Fuyuki City, having taken her sister's place, who was now studying at the Clock Tower of the Mage Association...

Well, officially at least, but in reality, Rin Tohsaka was a double agent. In truth, while she was indeed in the Mage Association, she, as well as her Servant Lancer were also members of the Church's Burial Agency, and the only one who knows about this was Bartolomei Lorelei, the Queen of the Clock Tower, who had given Tohsaka permission to do so. And in fact, half of the time, she was actually out on missions, sometimes with Enforcers, sometimes with members of the 8th Sacrament, sometimes just with her Servant, hunting down Dead Apostles.

They may be powerful, but she did have a Heroic Spirit by her side, as well as having her own natural talent as a magus. Rin and Lancer had actually met Ciel, an incarnation of the Dead Apostle Ancestor Roa, and Meremi, who was a Dead Apostle Ancestor, among the most dangerous and powerful vampires, himself, both of whom had become occasional visitors to the Emiya Household (Ciel, because she simply enjoyed Shirou's cooking, and Meremi, because he found the red-haired magus' abilities, as well as nature, interesting).

In fact, according to Rin, during their first meeting, it had been difficult to keep her Servant (And obviously her lover as well, which is probably why the blue-haired spearman was being restrained by the black-haired female magus from coming into contact with other girls, knowing of his history as a womanizer. She undoubtedly had the upper hand in the relationship. He was hers, and she has apparently made it clear who was in control.) on the leash, as Cu Chulainn, sensing the power of the two entities, could hardly control his urge to challenge and engage them in a fight.

As for Lancer, well, he had never been interested in the Holy Grail, and his only objective was to quench his thirst for battle, so now, hunting down Dead Apostles, the Servant of the red spear couldn't be any happier...

Things had been going rather well for everyone. Shirou's Servant, Arturia Pendragon, the King of Knights, also decided to stay after the 5th Holy Grail War, having fallen in love with the red-haired magus who was her Master, who in turn, had also fallen in love with her. The blonde female preferred that everyone continued calling her by her class, Saber, not because she wanted to hide her identity, but because she wanted to forget about her past, and only think of the present. She now had her second chance at life, finally convinced that her wish to redo things was wrong, that she had done her utmost during her reign as the King of England, and that it was now time to move on, leaving her regrets behind...

Everything was fine. Things were peaceful once again. Together, they will continue moving forward, and will undoubtedly be able to face whatever is in store for them in the future...

"Saber?" inquired Shirou, as the blonde-haired female stood up, carrying a silver-haired girl in her arms, who had fallen asleep on her(Saber's) lap.

"I'm taking Ilya to her room," replied the King of Knights. "She needs rest."

...except for one...

**-BREAK-**

It was two o'clock in the morning. Shirou Emiya was currently standing on top of the roof of his house. For some reason, whenever he wanted to think about something serious, he had gotten the habit of looking up at the stars, on the very spot of where he knew Archer used to stand when he had been keeping watch during the duration of the 5th Holy Grail War.

The red-clad knight's, Archer's identity... in truth, it had come as a surprise, yet at the same time it had not, as if Shirou had already instinctively known who he was, even if his mind did not. For Archer's true identity... was Heroic Spirit Emiya, his future self...

The Servant of the Bow, from the very beginning, even when his identity was not yet known, had openly shown his stance towards his younger self. Although he had never tried to attack him, he hated him, and while he hid and controlled his killing intent and hostility, in respect of his Master, Rin and of their temporary alliance against Ilya and Berserker, Shirou knew that it would be impossible for the two of them to ever get along. The only reason why they were cooperating was due to the fact that the Mad Warrior, whose true identity was Hercules, was overwhelmingly powerful.

And as the days went by, the tension between them was becoming worse. Although they rarely spoke to each other, whenever they did, they always argued when it comes to the same point, when it comes to battle plans and strategies, but more importantly, when it comes to saving people, when it comes to the ideals that they both shared and inherited from their adoptive father, Kiritsugu Emiya. Yes, the ideal of saving everyone was indeed flawed, as well as the ways that can be used to try and go about it. Shirou was against taking innocent lives as much as possible, while his future self did not mind sacrificing those without fault, if it meant that more people would be saved by their deaths. Yes, it was a twisted path, a path without an end, for it was an impossible dream...

Yes, Archer's objective all along was to kill his younger self. He was being patient, due to the fact that having Saber as an ally was useful, but eventually it was what he was going to do. However...

_Flashback_

_"So, Saber is going to disappear?" the red-haired magus asked Rin Tohsaka..._

_"I'm afraid so, Emiya-kun," replied the Tohsaka heiress in an emotionless voice. "She had depleted all her prana when she used her Noble Phantasm to destroy Rider and Assassin. And while she may still have some left, it is just a small amount, a very small amount, and right now she is struggling just to remain in this world. I'm sorry Emiya-kun, but the only way for her to survive is if she were to take the soul of other people..."_

_"Is there really no other way?" inquired Shirou in a quiet voice._

_The female magus did not respond, apparently deep in thought, but the message was clear..._

_"I see," said Shirou, more to himself than to the person he was talking to. "Very well..."_

_A red light began glowing on one of the Command Mantra's on his hand..._

_"Saber, by the power of the Command Seal, I order you to..."_

_"Shirou, please don't," pleaded the King of Knights, as loudly as she could in her state..._

_"But Saber," began Shirou, pausing for a moment, yet his resolve was still there. He was about to proceed giving the order when..._

_"I think I've found another way, Emiya-kun," stated Rin calmly, although a slight tinge of red had appeared on her cheeks as she made her declaration...  
_

_The glow on the tattoo faded, the first Command Spell unused, for the order was not given..._

_At one corner of the room, a red-clad figure with white hair, who was supposed to be on the roof doing his lookout duty, materialized for a moment, with a look of surprise on his face, before fading back into spirit form..._

_End of Flashback_

Archer noticed something, something which had eventually made him drop the idea of killing his past self...

Yes, he had promised, the red-haired magus had promised his Servant that he would never give her an order which she would hate and make her go against her morals. He had also promised himself that he would try and save as many people as possible. However...

While it was true that Shirou wanted to become a superhero and save everyone, he was unwilling to sacrifice those he truly cared for the most to achieve this goal. If pursuing his ideals meant that he would lose the people he cared for the most, then his ideals can go to hell, for all he cared. That was the one exception...

And the one point, in which he and Archer were in complete agreement. For Archer had sacrificed his friends and loved-ones in pursuit of his ideals, and it was one of his greatest regrets... The one difference, which, for better or for worse, changed everything...

**-BREAK-**

"Her condition is getting worse," said Rin, her voice seemingly monotonous as she checked on the unconscious silver-haired female, but there was a note of worry in it, and whenever that happens, it means that she was very, very worried. "At this rate, she probably has about two weeks left to live... a month at most... Do you really intend to continue with what you are planning? You know what will happen to you if you do..."

"I do," the red-haired magus replied, keeping his voice as calm as he could, before leaving the room and headed out for the small park, the park where he first met Ilya, not as a Master, but as a person...

Archer had fought valiantly, having faced off against Berserker, who had been corrupted by the shadow, and was thus no longer Ilya's Servant, but Medea's slave. In the end, he managed to defeat Hercules, but at a price. True, he managed to take out all twelve of shadow-shrouded Berserker's lives, but he did not come out unscathed. His core was damaged during the fight, as a Shadow managed to sneak up on him, and was barely alive when he had rejoined the group that set out to rescue Sakura.

The plan was successful, and they managed to rescue Rin's unconscious sister, as well as broke her contract with Servant Avenger, but it was not without a price. Caster had already figured out how Sakura's element worked, as well as managed to carve out another vessel for the Holy Grail, taking the spirits of the fallen Servants that Sakura had absorbed as well, and thus no longer needed her.

And Archer came back to them, victorious from his battle, but mortally wounded, and there was nothing they could do...

However, instead of disappearing, something else happened. His soul had not been taken in by either Sakura or Ilya, who were Holy Grails, but neither was it taken in by Caster's vessel... Instead, his essence...

...went into his younger self, Shirou Emiya...

At this point in time, every person in the group already knew of Archer's true identity. However, what happened to him after he disappeared was still unexpected...

Yes, Ilya had already explained it to them. When Servants die, their souls go into the vessel that was prepared for the Holy Grail. However, that was not what happened with Heroic Spirit Emiya. And to add to that, his younger self was not a vessel for the HolyGrail, which means he should have, more or less, been destroyed. Whatever the case, Shirou Emiya should have died.

However, the red-haired magus did not die. True, there was some pain, but it was bearable, much more bearable than it should have been. Perhaps the reason behind it was due to the fact that Shirou still had Avalon implanted inside him, and the contract he had with Saber strengthened its effects, but regardless, with a Heroic Spirit invading your mind and body, the pain he should have experienced should have been far worse, and the sheath would not have been enough to save him...

It was true that Archer and Shirou were originally the same person, but they were not the same person. Both of them have the same Reality Marble, but while they have the same powers, they were fundamentally different. Archer's experiences were different from Shirou's experiences, which meant that their inner worlds were also different. Also, Archer was vastly superior to Shirou, his younger self, in body, mind and soul, who should have been destroyed the moment the Counter Guardian's spirit entered his body...

Instead, they had merged. And there could only be one reason. In the end, their worlds, their ideals, had become so alike, that the two of them had become compatible, and thus, something impossible had become possible. And the one whose inner world went through a drastic change... was Archer's, who was swayed by Shirou's actions, and instead of him influencing his younger self, it went the other way around...

And because of this, Shirou had gained access to the vast amount of knowledge, memories and experience that Heroic Spirit Emiya accumulated throughout his life, not all of it, just a portion, but everything that was related to his magecraft, swordsmanship, and Reality Marble was there. Not only that, his Magic Circuits had fused with Shirou's own, who had thus gained all of his abilities, as well as the improved od capacity...

And with it, Shirou Emiya was able to defeat the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, when they faced each other during the final day of the war...

_"Please save Ilya..."_

These were the last words, the last request, which Archer has spoken to Shirou as their spirits merged, before the Counter-Guardian's consciousness left the plane of existence, trusting and believing that his younger self would be able to do what he had failed to accomplish...

Shirou was not sure exactly what kind of relationship Archer had with Ilya, whether it was as a lover, as a parent, or as a brother, for the memories he saw were vague and incomplete, but the red-haired magus had seen enough to know that Ilya was the person his future self had cared for the most. Yes, he had seen it, how Archer, who looked exactly like Shirou did (with red hair) at the time, desperately tried to find a way to save Ilya, to no avail. He had failed miserably, and the silver-haired female perished...

Yes, that was the one wish which Heroic Spirit Emiya had, aside from his desire to save everyone and ending his own existence... yet that one simple wish had been denied...

Personally, Shirou to love the young-looking girl with silver-haired like a little sister, even though she was actually older than him. Yes, she may look like a child, but she was actually Shirou's older sister, though not by blood...

It must have been painful, really painful, for Archer, to be unable to do anything to save her... But now, there was a way. His younger self, on whom he had pinned his hopes on, had found a way to do what he was unable to do...

Yes, it was difficult. For even with the effect of Avalon, which Shirou, with Saber's consent, had now placed inside Ilya, he knew that it would not be enough. For the silver-haired female's body had been experimented with too much, that even with the power of the sheath, her lifespan would not be increased by much. Even though Avalon greatly increased regeneration, which was the reason why Shirou had managed to survive after receiving body-splitting and fatal blows during the Holy Grail War, it still would not be enough...

There was only one way to save her...

Shirou Emiya had already made his decision. His resolve will not waver. Two months before, he had already informed Saber about what he was planning to do, and it had actually resulted in Shirou receiving the most powerful slap he had ever had in his lifetime, before the King of Knights (which was out of character for her) cried on his chest...

Still, in the end, the blonde female agreed, for even she had grown fond of Ilya, who was actually now just as attached to Saber as she was to Shirou...

And the only one who did not know about his plan was Ilya...

Yes, Shirou knew it was for the best. It was the least he could do, not just to honour Archer's wish, but also to make it up to the girl, the girl who Shirou had grown to love like a little sister (even though she was actually older), the girl who had to grow up and suffer alone, lonely and unloved, for he stole her father away from her...

He knew she would not agree, he knew Ilya would be upset, but Shirou was sure that everything would be fine. Even if he was gone, Saber and the others would be there for her. Yes, everything would be fine. Ilya would not be alone. They will be able to move on and continue moving forward without him...

...

If only he knew what was going to happen once he was gone, but he did not. Shirou did not have the slightest clue of what was in store for them in the future, as he vanished from the plane of existence.

Shirou did not know that they were mistaken when they thought they had destroyed the Grail, for they have not, nor did he know that it had accumulated so much power, that the 6th and final Heaven's Feel would occur in three years' time, or that it would be the bloodiest and most tragic Holy Grail War of all six, much worse than the one he had experienced...

And he did not know that his companions would die in that War, even though they did succeed in destroying the Grail...

And that Ilya would be the only survivor, left all alone, losing her family... losing everyone she ever cared for...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out...

Like I said before, I am really busy (as well as writing discreetly) so my updates may be quite slow, although I promise that I will try and update at least once a week...

Anyway, this is a special chapter wherein some of the events before the beginning of the story are explained. In truth, it had been rather difficult, since I had to show the details in such a way that things are sufficiently revealed, but not enough to make the possible prequels (One for the 5th Grail War and one for the 6th, although like I said possible, not for sure, depending on the motivation, as well as the functionality of my brain to think of ideas.) boring to read. I'm not sure if I succeeded but I hope I have. If there are things or characters which you cannot understand, I suggest you read the Type-Moon Wiki or better yet, play the Visual Novels for Fate/Stay Night and Tsukihime...

And like always, I hope you enjoy my fic...

Later then, people...


	53. CHAPTER 51

**CHAPTER 51: THE KING OF KNIGHTS**

(Ilya POV)

It had been difficult, a really difficult task, to restrain herself and control her emotions.

Ilya knew it, she knew who the ghost standing in front of her was...

Yes, there was no doubt about it. It was Arturia Pendragon, the girl who was known during her life as King Arthur, the King of Knights. There was no way Ilya could have been mistaken. Her aura... her feel... even though this time, she was nothing but a spirit without a physical body, there was no doubt about it... it was her.

And yet, for some reason, Ilya also knew that the ghost in front of her was a stranger. She knew her, yet at the same she did not, for they had never met. The ghost's scrutinizing look and unfriendly aura was proof of that.

Ilya had been hoping against hope that it wasn't the case, but her heart told her otherwise. The girl in front of her was definitely Arturia Pendragon, the Once and Future King of England, and yet she was not the person who the silver-haired had known, and had been part of her family...

Saber had perished, along with every other person that Ilya loved and cared for, during the 6th and final Heaven's Feel Holy Grail war, which occurred just four years after the 5th one, during which the silver-haired female was the only survivor...

Yes, it was painful for Ilya, knowing that she will never be able to see them again. First Shirou, then Seyla and Leysritt, then Fuji-nee, then Sakura, then Lancer, then Rin, and finally... Saber...

And among all the people she had met, Saber was the one who Ilya had been the closest to, next to her brother...

Ilya really missed the blonde female, having lived with her under the same roof, like family, for nearly four years, for the King of Knights had been convinced that the past should not be redone, and decided to stay.

Even after Shirou had sacrificed himself for Ilya's sake, Arturia, instead of following her Master who was her lover, opted to remain, having promised Shirou that she would stay behind and protect Ilya in her place, and formed a contract with the silver-haired female.

The two lovers, after all, had promised to meet again in the afterlife. Only this time their roles were reversed. The one who was forever waiting, and the one who was forever chasing...

Yes, Saber had become Ilya's Servant, but the silver-haired female did not view her as such. To Ilya, Saber had been like a mother, a sister, and a teacher, all at the same time.

And now, the feeling of hostility the transparent blonde in front of her had been giving off was almost exactly the same to the one that Saber used to have for her, when they had first met, the time when Ilya had set about killing her brother Shirou, and had set her mighty Servant Berserker, whose true identity was Hercules, on them.

The silver-haired female, despite her turmoil of emotions, kept it under control with enormous effort. Yes, the person in front of her may be giving off a similar vibe, but she was someone that Ilya didn't know. She was a stranger...

For she is Arturia, but not her Arturia. They are the same person, yet at the same time they are not the same person...

**-BREAK-**

(Arturia POV)

A long, eerie silence reigned, as a girl with silver hair stood face to face with two transparent beings, ghosts. One of them was Bedivere, one of King Arthur's most loyal knights. And the other...

... was the King of Knights herself, Arturia Pendragon...

It had been a long time... a very, very long time since then, since the time she had ruled Britain, and was known as King Arthur...

Yes, many would find it hard to believe, that the Once and Future King of England was actually a woman, and yet it was the undeniable truth. In her over a thousand years of existence as a ghost, Arturia had watched and observed, as her story was passed down, from one generation to another. Yes, she was a legend. The hero of Britain whose legacy people have continued to respect and worship, almost as much as they worshipped God, through the years...

And yet, as what happens with all stories when passed down throughout the centuries, some details are added while some are removed due to various reasons, either for convenience, for dislike of certain aspects of the story, or the simple fact of having 'misheard' and 'misinterpreted' parts of the story, as well the storyteller's own interpretation. It was actually surprising that many of the details of the different versions of her legend that arose were still accurate. However, there were some significant aspects that have been altered...

And one the most significant aspects of the legend which was incorrect was the gender of the King of Knights, although this was not caused by the eventual alterations of her story that happened through the centuries. From the very beginning, no one, except for Merlin, her adoptive family, Sir Kay, Sir Lancelot, and Sir Bedivere, knew that she was a girl (Even her half-sister, Morgan le Fay, thought that she was a pseudo-male or hermaphrodite, unaware that Merlin's magic was behind it, and temporarily turned her into such.). Even her biological parents did not know the truth, for given the rather unpleasant circumstances around her birth (Her biological father, in a fit of lust, with the help of Merlin's magic, disguised himself as the man's wife and slept with her, and Arturia was born from this union.). As of present, there was no one in existence, except for her and Sir Bedivere, and Sir Lancelot, who knew the truth. For as far as she knew, they were the only ones who knew of the secret who had become ghosts. The rest have moved on to the afterlife. Yes, the three of them were the only ones who knew the truth. The rest of the world believed she was a man...

Or so she thought...

Arturia had been passive, preferring to wander alone as a ghost, for hundreds of years. Yes, she had fought for the sake of her kingdom with everything she had, and tried to become an ideal king. When she removed Caliburn from the stone, she already knew what her fate would be. Still, her desire to protect her country urged her on, and she tried to go against the prophesized doom. However, in the end, she still failed at her task, and her kingdom fell into ruin. She died full of regret, and was thus unable to move on, and thus was turned into a ghost...

When Bedivere first told her about what happened, she couldn't believe what she had heard, thinking it was nonsense, and did not give it much significance. However, as her subordinate continued his report, the fire within her, that had been extinguished for hundreds of years, ever since she died at the Battle of Camlaan, was rekindled...

**-BREAK-**

(Arturia POV)

"Tell me," said the female King of Knights in a cold voice, finally breaking the silence, as she stared into the emerald eyes of the silver-haired girl in front of her. "Who are you?"

"Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya," replied the girl after a moment. Her voice was calm, but Arturia, who had fought in many battles, could tell that she was nervous.

"Do you know my name?" the blonde-haired ghost continued.

"The King of Knights, the Once and Future King of England, Arturia Pendragon," said the girl in response.

_So Bedivere was telling the truth,_ thought Arturia, as she took once glance at her subordinate, before turning back to face the girl.

While the King of Knights did not show it, she was actually surprised. The girl recognized her, that was for sure. When they first appeared before her, Arturia could tell, based from her(the silver-haired girl's) reactions that she knew who she(Arturia) was, and now she had confirmed it. However...

"So you know who I am," stated the blonde-haired female ghost in a monotonous tone. "Now tell me, Ilyasveil, have we met before?"

The girl was quiet for a moment before responding.

"No," she said finally.

At this, the ghost of the knight standing by Arturia reacted.

"So you were lying to me when you said that you met my liege's spirit?" Bedivere asked the girl, in a growl-like voice. It was understandable. Arturia knew that her subordinate prided himself in being able to tell if people were telling the truth. Apparently, this time, he was mis...

"No, I wasn't lying to you," replied the silver-haired female. "I told you that I knew Arturia Pendragon, but I never said that I was acquainted with your king."

Silence reigned in the room for a moment...

"Could you please repeat what you said?" inquired Arturia's subordinate quietly.

"I know Arturia, but I do not know your king," replied the girl simply.

The King of Knights was confused, very confused, by what the girl had said. And from the look on her knight's face, it was the same for him. And to make matters even more perplexing, Arturia could not see any signs that the girl was lying, as if she believed that what she was saying was the truth...

"So what you are trying to say," began Bedivere slowly. "Is that you are friends with the spirit of Arturia, but you are not acquainted with my king?"

The silver-haired female nodded.

"But the one standing in front of you is Arturia, as well as my king!" declared the knight, now looking utterly confounded.

Arturia watched in silence as her knight and the silver-haired female continued their conversation, which was going in circles. She was confused, greatly so. From the very first question she had asked the girl, Ilyasveil, seemed to have answered her honestly. Being the king of her country, Arturia has had training in the aspect of discerning people's motives, and aside from the training, she had had a lot of experience dealing with various types of people, so it was not easy to lie to her...

Which made things even more puzzling. The girl had recognized her. She knew that the ghost before her was the King of Knights. Yet now, she was saying that she knew Arturia, but she did not know the spirit that was standing in front of her? It was all inconsistent and very much confusing. Still...

"ENOUGH!" shouted the blonde female ghost loudly and with authority, as her already echoing voice echoed throughout the room, silencing the ghost of her subordinate and the human who were arguing in her presence.

There were other pressing matters at hand, and she cannot let the nonsensical conversation continue...

"Tell me, Ilyasveil," began the blonde-haired female knight, deciding to temporarily drop the previous topic and move on to the other important issue. "Why is it that you possess my sword, Caliburn? If memory serves, I had Bedivere return it to the Lady of the Lake?"

The knight beside Arturia was about to open his mouth, but his superior raised a hand to silence him...

The silver-haired girl was silent for a moment, with a confused look on her face, before it turned into a frown...

"I see, so things really went differently in this world," muttered the girl, more to herself than to the spirits she was talking to.

"Is there something wrong, Ilyasveil?" inquired the blonde-haired female spirit, as she looked at the girl with scrutiny in her eyes...

"Nothing is wrong," replied the Ilyasveil, who still looked puzzled, as she looked the ghost straight in the eyes. "It's just that as far as I know, the sword that Arturia returned to the Lake Spirit was Excalibur. And if memory serves, it had been given to the King of the Knights when her first sword, Caliburn, the sword in the stone, was broken. "

The eyes of the King of Knights widened at the girl's answer. It was unexpected. For as far as Arturia knew, there was no version of her legend in which there was an accurate account related to her swords. Even the version of the Wizarding was wrong, for they believed that Caliburn and Excalibur were the same sword, as well as the sword in the stone, and they believed that it was Merlin who created it, which was half-true. Caliburn was indeed placed by Merlin into the sword and anvil, but he never explained, even to Arturia, who exactly forged it. But Excalibur was a different sword, and it had been given by the Lady of the Lake. And according to the Wizard's account of the story, it was Caliburn or Excalibur, that was thrown into the lake, believing that the two names referred to the same sword. They never had any records of the blade being broken.

For even among her knights and subordinates, there were none who had given her change in weapon much attention, save for a select few(including the one who had successfully stolen Avalon), for Caliburn and Excalibur, while different in many respects, would look similar to unobservant eyes, and most of the knights focused on the king, not the sword. Still...

"You are correct," said Arturia monotonously. "Caliburn and Excalibur are indeed different swords. However... you have not yet answered my question. Why is Caliburn in your possession? Why is my sword, which has been broken, whole once again? Who was responsible for forging it back together?"

Yes, this was the question that Arturia truly want answered. Her sword. Her Caliburn. Even though Excalibur proved to be the superior of the two, the King of Knights still preferred Caliburn, her first sword, over it. For Excalibur was a sword that was given by the faeries, while Caliburn, while it may be inferior to it in quality, was a sword that more fittingly symbolized her and her ideals, and as Arturia betrayed herself to protect her country, it resulted in the sword being broken...

The silver-haired girl took a deep breath before speaking...

"I am sorry, King of Knights," she said. "But I do not have your sword..."

**-BREAK-**

(Arturia POV)

"I beg your pardon?" inquired the blonde-haired female ghost quietly, as she looked at the silver-haired girl straight in the eyes.

"I do not have it," said the girl simply. "Caliburn is not in my possession."

For a moment, a jolt of emotion was felt by the King of Knights, disappointed, for she had been fond of that particular sword, and she was actually hoping to see it again. When the sword was broken, Arturia had it hidden in her chambers, where it lay forgotten, for she had been too busy with her duties as a King. And when she came back later, as a ghost, for a visit, she found the castle in ruins, and the broken sword was nowhere to be found...

"You are lying," said Bedivere, his voice firm. "I saw it. I saw it with my own eyes. I witnessed how you fought against the giant, and I must admit I was impressed. It was a heroic action, Ilyasveil, a noble and selfless act to protect the innocent. However... there is no way I could have been mistaken. The sword that you used belonged to my king."

Silence reigned in the room reigned for a while, as Arturia stared at her subordinate, who looked uneasy. The knight, as far as the blonde-haired female ghost could tell, was sure with what he saw. Aside from that, Arturia had also been sure that she had felt Caliburn's energy, even for a moment, and in fact, she had felt it twice that day...

"I did not lie to you, Sir Bedivere," replied the silver-haired female calmly. "I never told you that the sword in my possession was Caliburn."

"But I saw you, I heard you," said the knight, his voice rising. "You called out its name to unleash its power when you..."

"It is not real!" the silver-haired female snapped, as she cut the ghost off, her voice also rising. "My sword is but a copy of Caliburn which I created...It is nothing but an imitation of the original!"

"An imitation?" scoffed Bedivere. "Now you are pulling my leg. It is impossible for the weapon you used to be a mere imitation. There is no magic in existence that can copy that sword, I doubt if even Merlin would be able to pull something life that off, nor is there anyone in this present time who can make a sword of that calibre, not even the goblins. But if you insist it is nothing but a mere copy of the original which I doubt, please explain how you managed such a feat."

"I think I told you before, Sir Knight," said the silver-haired female coldly. "As for the matter regarding the sword, that is something between me and Arturia."

"Then explain," said the King of Knights, her gaze still locked upon Ilyasveil, whose eyes were also locked upon her. "I am here. So explain."

Silence reigned in the room for a moment...

"No," said Ilyasveil finally, looking away. "You may look like her, but you are not her. You are not Arturia."

For a moment, the King of Knights felt sympathy for the silver-haired female, seeing the sad look that appeared on her face. However...

"I am not Arturia? Are trying to say..." began the King of Knights in a dangerously quiet voice. "... that I am an impostor?"

The moment the sentence registered in Arturia's mind, her feeling of pity was forgotten, as anger dominated her...

"WHAT?" shouted Bedivere, looking outraged.

Silence reigned in the room once again, as the two ghosts stared angrily at the female with silver hair.

"No, I am not saying that you are an impostor," began Ilyasveil in a quiet voice. "You are Arturia Pendragon, the King of Knights, of that I have no doubt of. However, you are not the Arturia I know..."

"STOP TALKING IN RIDDLES!"

Ever since she had become a ghost, Arturia never thought that something like this could possibly happen to her. But now, for the first time in hundreds of years, she had lost her temper. She was getting worked up, feeling exasperated. She was angry and confused, as the girl had apparently insulted her. And yet, while it seemed as if the silver-haired female was fooling around with them with words, the King of Knights could not help but feel that the girl was telling them the truth.

True, she may have been holding back on details, but as far as she can tell, the girl Ilyasveil had never, not even once, told them a lie. The King of Knights did know why, but for some reason, her instinct was screaming at her that the girl was not lying...

The King of Knights, losing control over her conflicting emotions, decided that it was time to proceed with her plan, the course of action she had originally planned to take if the girl turned out to be an evil person. Now, however, even though Arturia was not yet sure if that really was the case...

"Prepare yourself," the King of Knights declared, as she gritted her teeth, staring at the silver-haired female in front her...

"?"

The blonde-haired female ghost had sprung from where she was standing, holding something sharp and metallic in her hands, and in the next moment...

"?!"

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out...

First and foremost, I know that some of you would be asking about what happened. And probably many of you will be asking questions, especially the part concerning the ghosts in the Harry Potter Universe, their abilities, what they can and cannot do, etc. Well, if you think I made an error in that aspect... well, let's just say it will be explained in the next chapter...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading my works...

Later then, people...


	54. CHAPTER 52

**CHAPTER 52: TEARS OF THE FAKER**

(Bedivere POV)

WHOOOSH!

Ghosts, in general cannot affect anything solid, that was a known fact in the Wizarding World. True, they can chill the air around them, as well as disturb anything liquid, but the spirits, generally cannot touch, nor hold anything solid. And this why ghosts are able to sink into the ground or pass through solid walls without much problem...

However, there were always exceptions to the rule. Ghosts, contrary to the traditional belief of both the living and the formerly living, can actually affect the physical realm in ways that was known to be impossible. With some focus, and meditation, a spirit can actually learn to manipulate even solid objects around them.

True it takes a lot of practice and effort, but if a ghost tries hard enough, he will eventually be able to do some of the things which he had formerly been able to do in life, like walk on solid ground instead of floating or passing through it, as well as hold solid objects in their hands as if they had a physical a body.

However, since almost all spirits do not bother with something trivial, there are very few among them who can do so... but Arturia, Bedivere and Lancelot were not almost all spirits...

Yes, they studied and learned it, although it was actually self taught, discovering the possibility by accident. It was about eight centuries ago when it happened.

According to his liege's account, she was wandering around aimlessly, only half-aware of her surroundings, when all of a sudden, there was a scream, and to her horror, she saw a boy falling off the balcony of a mansion.

As if on reflex, Arturia ran towards the falling child, and tried to catch him. However, she was a ghost, and the boy passed through her arms...

But then, the fall did not kill the child. For even if it was only for a second, the King of Knights managed to get a firm grip on the boy, and it greatly reduced the force and momentum of the fall. Also, as she regained her composure, she realized that she ran, not floated, towards the child...

Yes, with enough time, practice and effort, it was possible for ghosts to be able to do some of the things which they had been able to do in life...

And the three of them had centuries to do so...

As of present, they were already so adept with the skill, that holding items was as easy and reflex-like for them as it was for living people to breathe in air. Still...

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

CLANG!

The grey-eyed knight could not help but gasp in awe at the sight that beheld his eyes, as sparks flew with every blow, with metal hitting metal...

It had been a long time, centuries in fact, since the last time that the ghost had seen a duel such as the one that was unfolding before him...

While it was true that after he died and turned into a ghost, he had seen many battles in which skilful swordsmen fought against each other, none of the swordfights he saw could compare to the one he was currently witnessing...

For the silver-haired girl, wielding two, short, identical, falchion-like blades, one black, one white, mirror-images of each other, in her hands, was holding her ground against the King of Knights, whose skill with the blade was legendary, not to mention the fact that Arturia, preferring to remain alone and isolated from people, had nothing better to do, and had been continually practicing with her sword for hundreds of years...

And yet, the girl named Ilyasveil had been matching her blow per blow, parrying each one of her attacks, as ghost and human continued their dance, locked in an unending stalemate...

**-BREAK-**

(Arturia POV)

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

CLANG!

"... but I must admit I'm surprised, King of Knights," mused Ilyasveil, her voice full of sarcasm, as she continued to parry the attacks of the blonde-haired female ghost. "You did not even wait for your opponent to bring out her weapons... how honorable..."

"I did warn you beforehand, did I not?" growled the female King of Knights, as she continued launching sword strikes at the silver-haired girl. "And I also gave you ample time to draw out your weapon."

This was a lie. In truth, Arturia's plan was indeed to do just that. If the girl turned out to be someone who was evil, and not to her liking, she would put her down, partly for the sake of the innocent, but more so for the sake of her honor as a knight...

Still, even if the girl did turn out to be a noble person at heart, as her actions suggested, Arturia would have still challenged her to a duel anyway. But then, having been agitated for the first time in centuries, the King of Knights had somehow forgotten this aspect of a duel. She did not mean to, but she had gone on the offensive without even waiting for her opponent to accept her challenge, or draw out her weapon of choice...

Still, the King of Knights managed to regain herself, and while in the middle of crossing blades, the two of them, the formerly living and the living, had come to an agreement on the conditions of their duel.

If Ilyasveil managed to land a blow that would normally be fatal to a living person, or at least place Arturia in a position wherein she would not be able to defend herself, then the King of Knights would accept her defeat, and would leave her alone.

However, if Arturia managed to do the same, and place Ilyasveil in a position wherein she would not be able to avoid a fatal blow, into a position wherein she was helpless, then it was the silver-haired girl's loss, and she would have to give straight and honest answers to the questions that the King of Knights will ask her...

To the blonde-haired female spirit it had not come as a surprise. From the moment she first saw Ilyasveil, Arturia already knew that the girl was unique. Even if Bedivere had not told the King of Knights about her, had they met under different circumstances, she would have still been able to tell...

The King of Knights already knew. The moment they started following the girl around, Arturia's instincts had already been nudging at her, telling her that the girl was different. Unlike most witches and wizards. she had the aura and pressure of a swordswoman, something which the King of Knights noticed, as she also excelled in using said weapon. However...

_I underestimated her,_ thought Arturia in annoyance, as she continued to press on with her attacks, to no avail, as the silver-haired female blocked each and every one of her strikes. S_he is much better than I expected..._

The King of Knights could not believe it. Even though she could tell that Ilyasveil probably had some skill with swords, Arturia was confident in her own abilities, and was sure that it would be easy to take her down, certain that she will be able to end the fight quickly... Unfortunately, she was mistaken...

The blonde-haired female ghost could not help but feel her respect rising for the opponent she was currently facing, who was proving herself to be far more skilled and formidable than the King of Knights had originally thought...

Arturia had now begun putting more power and speed into her offensive. She did not want to end up killing the silver-haired girl, partly due to the fact that the King of Knights wanted to ask her questions, but now more so because she did not want to kill the girl who had so much potential, and the blonde had actually begun to take a bit of a liking to her, but she had no other choice. For the King of Knights realized that it was impossible for her to win if she did not take the fight seriously...

CLANG!

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

The girl that Arturia was facing was undoubtedly an experienced fighter, and was continuously surpassing her expectations as the fight dragged. However...

The silver-haired girl's chest was open...

CLANG!

Her liver was vulnerable...

CLANG!

Her neck was open...

CLANG!

Her heart was unguarded...

CLANG!

"?!"

The blonde-haired female ghost retreated and took a step backward, her eyes wide with surprise, hesitating for a moment which lasted for a fraction of a second, before continuing with her offensive...

To say that the spirit Arturia Pendragon was surprised with what she discovered would be an understatement, as their duel progressed. No, she was shocked, mortified as she realized that Ilyasveil's fighting style...

... was suicidal...

It was the first time, the very first time that the King of Knights met someone who fought in this way. While it was true that the twin swords Ilyasveil was using was unfamiliar to her, Arturia, when she was still alive, had fought many warriors who also used sword pairs in battles... However...

She had never, in her lifetime, met someone who fought in the same way as the silver-haired girl in front of her...

Most warriors are careful, keeping their guard up, especially on their vital organs, a solid defence that was hard to penetrate. It was only natural after all. For if one was hit either through their heart or any other similar spots, it would be all over...

Instead, Ilyasveil was deliberately putting holes in her own defenses...

The silver-haired girl, instead of guarding her vital points, actually leaves them wide open, which most experienced warriors would instinctively take advantage of, to lure her enemies in. Yes, and because Ilyasveil had deliberately placed the weak spots in her guard, she was easily able to parry attacks aimed for them, and would give her a chance to counterattack. Yes, it was risky, extremely risky, for one mistake on the part of the user of this unorthodox technique could mean instant death for them, even though it has its advantages...

Yes, the King of Knights realized that that was the purpose of this particular fighting style. There had been chances, so many of them in fact, that the King of Knights could hardly count, for the silver-haired girl to launch a counter attack. However...

The silver-haired female never took them, which left Arturia even more confused...

For despite the many opportunities, Ilyasveil had not taken advantage of a single one of them, and remained on the defensive. All throughout their duel, the silver-haired female had never, not even once, tried to attack the King of Knights, always remaining on the defensive. It was baffling, incredibly so, for Arturia was certain that with the level of skill she had seen from the girl, it would have only been too easy for her to utilize the chances she created. And yet...

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

She was using a risky, suicidal fighting style, to lure her opponents in and gain opportunities to counter, yet she never used them. Which could only mean one thing...

_Is she playing around with me?! She's making a mockery of this duel!_ thought Arturia angrily. _Is she trying to say that I'm not even worthy for her to take seriously?!_

It was an insult to her, both as a knight and as a warrior, that her opponent was actually holding back on her, when she was giving it her all. She was King Arthur, one of the best warriors and swordsmen of her time, and it hurt her pride. No, she could not allow this to continue...

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

CRACK!

Putting more fervor into her attack, the King of Knights destroyed the silver-haired female's white blade...

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

CRACK!

...after which, she destroyed the black falchion that was identical to it, as the silver-haired girl retreated...

"HAAAAA!"

With a battle cry, the ghost of the Once and Future King of England once again charged forward, intending to finish off her opponent, who had insulted her so and stepped on her pride, completely disregarding her original purpose...

It was the end...

CLANG!

Or not...

For a moment there was silence, save for the sound of metal rubbing against metal, as Arturia's sword was blocked...

"No way..." gasped the ghost of the King of Knights, as she looked at the weapon that the silver-haired girl used to block her attack...

Arturia's eyes widened, unable to believe what she was seeing. For in front of her, wielded by the silver-haired female, was a sword, which she recognized.

It was the sword which the ghost of Sir Lancelot had given as a gift to the spirit of Arturia. It was a typical English sword, and it was modeled after Caliburn. True, it was not made from the same material, but it was still an excellent blade nonetheless. It was made of goblin metal, which means that it will never rust or become dull, no matter how much time passed. What was most astounding about the sword, however, was that the length, shape, weight, and many other details were exactly identical as her first sword, which had been broken...

Arturia never knew how Lancelot had managed to procure the weapon. She never found out who forged it, who gave the exact description and who paid for it (although Arturia was sure that it was Lancelot), for the knight who had tried to come to her aid before her fall but did not arrive in time, never told her, and the ghost of the King of Knights had not seen him since, and over five hundred had passed since she had received his gift...

And the sword which was presently wielded by Ilyasveil...

...was identical to the one which the King of Knights was currently using. No... it was not just identical. The sword in the hands of the silver-haired girl was just a copy, of that Arturia was sure of, and yet, at the same time, it did not feel like a copy. The King of Knights had a keen eye for steel and weaponry, having lived by the sword all her life, and actually continued wielding one even after her death. And because of this, she couldn't possibly be mistaken... the sword in the hands of the girl did not seem like a copy of her own, it seemed as if it was the same one, the exact same sword, an exact replicate, an imitation, which was so much like the original, that even Arturia, had she not been the original's owner, would not have been able to tell the difference.

"Impossible..." the blonde-haired female heard her subordinate, Bedivere, say in a low voice...

"Who exactly are you?" demanded Arturia in wonder, in a low voice, as she looked at the silver-haired female in front of her straight in the face, forgetting that they were in a duel, and focused her attention on her opponent instead...

And was surprised at what she saw...

"This is your victory, King of Knights..." stated Ilyasveil, as she lowered her sword, the copy of the blonde-haired female's weapon fading into nothingness. "...for I am no longer in any condition to continue... And like promised... I will respond to your questions honestly and truthfully, so long as I know the answer..."

Silence reigned in the room for a while, as the ghost of the King of Knights eyed her opponent, who had just admitted defeat in their duel...

Arturia could not help but continue to stare in shock and wonder, at the girl with silver hair, a skilled swordswoman, and a formidable opponent, who was currently holding out her hand to the King of Knights, and was now wearing a gentle smile on her face...

As tears continued to flow from her emerald green eyes...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out.

So far, I must admit, this chapter had been one of the most challenging ones for me, because I once again had to write a full-on battle. It's not easy mind you, and I really hope I didn't screw it up. For in the previous chapters, specifically the Tiger Dojo training parts, I actually tried to find the correct sound effect text for wooden weapon clashes against wooden weapon , wood clashes against wood, and unfortunately, I couldn't find anything... Though if anyone of you know the answer to this little puzzle, I would really appreciate it if you told me... Oh, and if anyone knows what the is best of sound for metal breaking or metal being sliced in half, please tell me as well, I would also be really thankful for that...

Anyway, there's this friend of mine who was asking me if I could write a Final Fantasy VII- Familiar of Zero and Final Fantasy VII-Fate/Stay Night Crossover.

To be honest, I actually kind of like the idea. For starters, the damn characters in Final Fantasy are really powerful, and they actually fit with the different Servant Classes. Vincent Valentine for one, is damn fit as Berserker or Avenger, Sephiroth would also be suited as a Berserker, as well as a Saber, and Cloud is also fit as a Saber, although he may also do well as a Rider Class, although most characters might as well be fit for the Caster class as well, with their Materia and stuff, and probably a Rider as well. And the Turks would definitely fit in the Assassin class.

As for FFVII and FOZ fic though, well I find that rather difficult. For you see, while many writers try and follow canon story mostly, changing and editing a few things here and there, I am one of the writers who like to write a new plot, in an empty void or space wherein there is no story yet. True the starting point is based on canon, but the entire story diverts immediately from it.

Some may say that I'm being stupid, making myself suffer to think of a plot of storyline, instead of modifying one that is already in existence, but well, I enjoy it this way, and when you enjoy what you are doing, it doesn't really count as hardship...

Now regarding my friend's request. Sadly, as there are a lot of things which I have to do, I declined his request, for the time being at least, not to mention the fact that I haven't finished with this one yet, and I do not intend to abandon this fic no matter what anyone says. My friend was actually teasing, asking me why I actually even bothered to make a story wherein Severus Snape is one of the two main protagonists. Even he found the idea ridiculous. However, I do not really care what other people think, even if it happened to be the majority. I'm writing this fic because I'm having fun writing it, and whichever characters happen to be my preference is something that no one can dictate. Yup, I like Snape as a character, as well as Ilya, and I found that they had not been given poetic justice in their canon stories, so I made a fanfic in which they will given that particular due which their original creators had not given them. Again, no offense to the original authors, your stories are good, I just think that some of the characters were treated unjustly, but enough about that...

As I said before, I am really busy and there are deadlines which I have to keep, so I may not be able to update this fic often, though I promise that I will do so at least once a week.

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	55. CHAPTER 53

**CHAPTER 53: MEMORY AND SCOOP**

(Arturia POV)

"Tell me, Bedivere," said the blonde-haired female ghost, turning to her subordinate. "Ilyasveil... does she seem familiar to you?"

The grey-eyed spirit pondered for a moment before responding...

"No... I'm afraid not my King..." he said finally. "Today, or rather, yesterday, was the first time we met..."

"I see," said Arturia in a monotonous tone. as the two ghosts, who were currently on top of the highest structure at Hogwarts, continued to observe the stars...

"If I may be so bold, my," said the grey-eyed knight. "I think it would be better if you just ask her directly. She has, after all, agreed to answer your queries..."

Silence reigned for a while, as a gentle breeze slightly lifted the blonde-haired female ghost off her feet...

"You know I cannot do that," said the King of Knights.

"Regardless," said the knight. "She would have willingly responded to your questions had you asked. She conceded, did she not? You were v..."

"You and I both know who truly won that duel, Bedivere," the King of Knights cut her subordinate off. "Now, please leave. I need some time alone..."

"But, my king..." the knight began, but his voice seemed to trail away as the spirit of the King of Knights, who was currently deep in thought, ignored him...

"As you wish," sighed Bedivere, as he flew away from the Astronomy Tower...

In her long career as the King of England, Arturia Pendragon had fought many battles, and while outcome of her campaigns were overall successful, save for her fall at her final battle at Camlaan, it was not as if she had not suffered defeat. Indeed, there were a number of skirmishes in which she and her army had lost. However...

Never, in all her time as a king and as a knight, had she met someone who could match her in such a duel. True, she had been defeated in jousts, spars, and one on one duels before. Sir Kay, Sir Lancelot, Sir Bedivere, Sir Gawain, and a few others, friend and foe, had been able to match Arturia and her skills as a knight. However...

The King of Knights was unbeatable when she was using her weapon of choice. All throughout her lifetime, Arturia had been invincible whenever she was using a sword, even if it was not Caliburn or Excalibur she was using. As long as she had one in her hands, none could match her in close combat, not in spars, not on the battlefield, and it did not matter what kind of melee weapons her adversaries used, be it sword, spear, or axe...

_Flashback_

_Clang! _

_WHOOOSH!_

_CLANG!_

_CLANG!_

_"You have doomed your country with your actions, King Arthur..." said a voice._

_"Why? Why did you not make me your heir? Why did you not abdicate the throne for me?" asked the knight in white armor, engaging Arturia in one on one combat, in the middle of a hill, as war raged on around them..._

_"Because you do not have the spirit of a king," came the reply from the King of Knights, as they continued dancing with their swords, without any intention of stopping, until one of them should fall..._

_End of Flashback_

It was simple, really. After spending years of struggle and hardship, Arturia Pendragon, the King of Knights, was betrayed by the very country she sought to protect. In the end the female ruler realized, that she had not been only ever been an idol to her people, someone who was worshipped, not followed. She had never been a true leader, and then many of them lost faith in her, and thus rebelled.

_"Even without sacrificing the village, we were assured of victory..." _

Yes, as their disappointment and complaints grew, the people of England, one by one, started withdrawing their support from Arturia, until only those who had truly been loyal to her remained. And when she returned to her country one day after her pursuit of a traitor, she found that someone had usurped the throne...

Her son, Mordred...

It had already been centuries since then, since the time she fell at that last battle, but the regret Arturia felt, caused by what happened still lingers, combined with the fact that she had enormous amounts of magical energy, was probably the reason why she had become a ghost. While the King of Knights focused her time honing her sword fighting skills, as well as having become too busy with her kingly duties to give time for anything else, she actually had potential as a witch or wizard. True, she did not acquire her own wand, but she knew some spells and could cast them wandlessly, although they were mostly focused on improving her swordsmanship, only learning very few spells which were meant to improve her fighting prowess. She did learn Merlin's teleportation and convenient modes of transport however (which are presently known as Apparition and Portkeys), spells which none of the magic users of her time knew about, and only Merlin, Arturia and a few of her knights (including Bedivere, Lancelot Gawain and Galahad) had learned how to use it, although since Morgan la Fay was able to render said transportation spells useless against her strongholds and locations on which she had cast the spell, which included the entire huge area of Camlann during the final battle, perhaps she also knew about it...

And it was on that battle that Arturia received the fatal wound which claimed her life shortly afterwards. She had fought on that lonely hill, against her son, Mordred, the one who brought things into disarray by claiming the throne for himself. King Arthur won the duel. However, the blonde female's treacherous half-sister had put a spell on the knight's body, which kept it moving even after its death, and the shock was enough to make Arturia drop her guard long enough for it to strike, one which proved to be fatal...

At least, that was most people thought happened...

King Arthur was the better warrior of the two, but was killed through the treacherous use of magic to reanimate the usurper's corpse. And indeed, the account was accurate...

Except for the fact, which only Arturia knew, that she was not the better fighter...

Although the general gist was the similar, there had been many different accounts of their duel, although the end result was the same. The most accurate version, however, was that both of them only used their swords when they fought. Yes, this was true. However...

Mordred was the better swordsman, a fact that Arturia knew without a doubt.

As their duel progressed, it would seem to people who were watching (and since everyone was busy with their own fights, no one was watching) that they were evenly matched. However, they were not. Slowly, inch by inch, Mordred pushed Arturia back, and the King of Knights could do nothing about it. It was a slight, a very slight advantage in strength and speed, but the small difference was enough. The King of Knights was on the brink of defeat...

_CHING!_

_"Guh!"_

_The King of Knights winced, as the Sword of Promised Victory flew from her grasp._

Arturia recalled it as if it only happened recently. Her guard was destroyed and she was vulnerable, a perfect opening to strike has been created. The King of Knights, realizing there was nothing else she could do, grabbed her spear on the ground and tried to go for a counterattack instead of defending, which would have been futile. However, she also knew that even if she tried to go for mutual defeat, it would not work. Mordred was more skilful than she was, and Arturia could tell, that the knight would be able to deal a fatal blow and avoid the King's desperate attempt. It should have been then end of her...

It did not come. The white-clad knight, rushing forward to finish the duel, stopped his charge, leaving himself open, allowing the King of Knights to drive her spear into his chest, straight into his heart.

Arturia had been surprised with the turn of events, and many thoughts entered her mind. Perhaps her opponent was exhausted, or got distracted by something insignificant at such a critical moment? Maybe she had miscalculated her enemy's strength, or perhaps it was sheer luck?

However, all her thoughts process went to a stop, as Mordred, apparently unmindful of the pain, took off his helmet, and looked Arturia straight in the face.

If the King of Knights had been surprised with her victory, what she was afterwards was far more shocking...

It was her own face looking back at her. Arturia had known, she knew that Mordred was her son, the son who was born from the ritual wherein she was temporarily turned into a pseudo male. The son who, after hearing Merlin's warning, the King of Knights had tried to kill while still an infant, though she failed. The son who had been prophesized to bring her downfall, yet Arturia, when she saw how useful a knight he was, decided to do away with it.

Yet she never knew that they resembled each other to such an extent, for Mordred, who had revealed to Arturia his identity, never showed her his face, and this was the first time the King of Knights had seen it. However, it was not the fact that Mordred was like her mirror image that shook Arturia the most...

Even though he was on the verge of death, his face did not show hatred or defiance towards the female king who was his father. Instead...

He was smiling. A sorrowful smile was plastered on Mordred's face, tears flowing down his eyes as blood came out of his mouth. And then, as he neared his last breath, only one word came out of his blood-stained lips, before his head bowed down on his death, impaled by the spear...

_"Father..."_

It was a painful memory. As a knight, it was an insult, for she realized that her opponent held back at the very last moment, giving her an opening to be able to successfully land a fatal blow, losing on purpose.

And her distraction, perhaps, was the reason why she had not noticed the Dark Magic that had been placed on Mordred, and thus, even though he was dead, the body was still able to move and managed to land a fatal blow on the King of Knights, although it did not cause instant death. However, it was not her pride as a King or as a knight which caused her to be in a daze. No, it was because of something else...

_"The King does not understand human emotions..."_

Yes, this was one of the reasons why the people of her kingdom eventually shunned the King of Knights. They believe that she was someone cruel and emotionless, who is prepared to do anything to get her way. However, this wasn't the case.

For in truth, Arturia Pendragon was just like everybody else. However, in order for her to be able to protect her country, she froze her own heart, making decisions which would assure victory and minimize casualties, even if they seemed immoral and unenthical.

She froze her own heart, yet still the ice melted. But Arturia ignored it, and froze it back again every time, never showing her fear and anxiety to her enemies, never showing sorrow or sadness to a fallen comrade, never shedding tears, not a single drop, even when those closest to her heart died, not even when she was alone in her chambers, in her attempt to become an ideal king for her people.

Yes, Arturia can feel pain and get hurt, not just physically but also emotionally, like any other human being. However, she gave it no regard, considering it to be irrelevant. But during her last battle with her own son, the son she had never loved and tried to kill, the son who she had never truly known, except for the fact that he had been an excellent knight, she once again, after a long time, acknowledged its existence.

In her final moments, Arturia was in a turmoil of emotions, feeling great sadness, despair and sorrow, knowing that her country will soon fall into ruin. Even though she was in pain, and the hurt she felt from her failure was much more painful than her mortal wounds, she did not cry. And yet...

On her final moments on the hill, just as the corpse of her son moved through the spear and struck her with a fatal blow, a single tear escaped her eyes. For her final confrontation with Mordred was one of the most painful experiences Arturia had faced, next to Lancelot's betrayal...

And even though she was dead, even though she was already a ghost, her duel with the silver-haired girl made her remember the painful occurrence vividly...

For Mordred and Ilyasveil, two different people who fought two using two completely different sword styles, had the same expression on their face. There was no anger on them, nor was there any hatred in their eyes. All Arturia saw from them was sadness and sorrow... and it was unnerving...

The blonde female ghost of the King of Knights wanted to question her, the girl with silver hair who had proven her worth as a swordswoman, surpassing even Arturia's own abilities, yet decided to throw the fight in the end. And by the agreement of their duel, the King of Knights had every right to do so. And yet...

Arturia could not bring herself to do it. The moment she saw the girl in tears, she fled, and left the room, as fast as she could, with Bedivere, a worried expression on her face, following behind...

For she could feel the sadness, despair and longing that the girl with silver hair felt, and the King of Knights was unable to take it. She had lived, and existed for centuries, ignoring her emotions. In truth, Arturia thought that she had already been able to discard them, yet apparently she had been wrong. The ice that covered her heart, both in life and in her imitation in life, was once again being melted away, and it was painful. And yet...

_"You are Arturia Pendragon, the King of Knights, of that I have no doubt of..."_

_"However, you are not the Arturia I know..."_

The King of Knights opened her eyes, deciding on her next course of action. She will face her again. She knew it might be painful, she knew it might cause her pain, but the King of Knights also knew, that she must not run away...

**-BREAK-**

(Severus POV)

It was Saturday morning. Severus and his friends were currently having a picnic-style breakfast under a tree near the lake. It was a peaceful day, compared to the chaotic previous one. Things were normal and cheerful, and his silver-haired girlfriend was currently engaged in conversation with Alice and Rose on fashion and clothes.

Things seemed normal, yet the raven-haired young man could not help but feel worried and anxious, and he could not help but get the feeling that he was missing something important... For while Ilya seemed like her usual cheerful self, Severus could not help but feel that it was not the case. Even though his silver-haired girlfriend was an excellent Occlumens, and was thus able to hide her thoughts and emotions, he could feel a sense of loneliness emanating from her...

_Something must have happened,_ thought Severus to himself.

He wanted to ask, the young man with raven hair wanted to know what happened, but before he could open his mouth, a distraction, in the form of the arrival of a snowy-white bird...

"Iris," said Ilya, as the snowy-white owl, with large, round, ruby-red eyes, dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet on the silver-haired girl's lap, before perching itself on her shoulder.

The owl now belonged to Evelyn Scrimgeour, although it was Ilya's originally, and was also the one who named her(the owl). According to the silver-haired girl, after the Diagon Alley incident, when the pet shop was destroyed, the owl had followed them home (something which Severus, who was badly shaken at the time, did not notice.)...

"By the Root," said Ilya quietly, though there a cold, dangerous tone in her voice...

Upon hearing the phrase, Severus knew at once that whatever it was that she read could not be good. For whenever Ilya is faced by something that causes her to feel annoyed or angry, she would normally blame things on Akasha, the Root (which, according to Ilya, was what magi in general strive to reach.), in the same way that wizards would curse the name of Merlin.

"Ilya?" inquired the raven-haired young man, as the silver-haired girl sitting beside him handed him the newspaper...

And the raven-haired young man's eyes opened wide with shock...

For on it was a large moving picture, which showed a silver-haired girl confronting a giant. Whoever took said photograph was undoubtedly an excellent cameraman. The moving picture started with the silver-haired girl cutting off the giant's arm, to the part wherein she stood before the giant and the girl, destroying the giant's club the stabbing its owner, up to the part wherein said giant was turned into ashes, with the silver-haired girl, standing regally (and at such a nice angle too.). And on top of the picture was the Headline, which read:

**_MERLIN'S LEGACY APPEARS?! KIDNAPPING OF THE MINISTER'S DAUGHTER FOILED_**

_by: Rita Skeeter_

"Merlin be damned," snarled Severus, finding it hard to control himself, feeling a mixture of shock, awe, and irritation, as he finished reading the article after a while. "Ilya..."

It was, in Severus' opinion, one of the worst things that could have happened. Of all the people to find out about it, it just had to be the infamous snoop.

"Hey now, you're overreacting," said Alice, who was wearing a smile on her face. "In fact, it's actually a miracle, Skeeter writing about someone in a positive light? I mean, come on..."

"No, it's not alright." said Ilya, her voice monotonous, but there was a trace of fury and irritation in it, which made the smile on the black-haired female's face fade.

Alice was trying to lighten the mood, but it was easy to tell that she could also comprehend the possible repercussions that could result from the Skeeter's write-up.

It was true that the article did not show Ilya in a negative light. In fact, Skeeter actually glorified her, although Severus was sure that the shrewd reporter probably did that so she can further put stress on certain points to humiliate certain prominent institutions and individuals, which probably include "Hogwarts has lax security", "the Ministry is incompetent," "Fudge is incompetent," "the teachers are useless," "Dumbledore is useless," and the like...

Yes, the article, at first glance, may appear harmless to naive individuals. However...

Neither Severus nor his friends belong to that category.

In a span of a few short seconds, the raven-haired young man immediately realized the possible effects of the news which, while Severus was quite certain that its content was not aimed at Ilya (at least, for the time being), already had some unpleasant implications. Severus knew that he might be being paranoid, but the fact that his friends seemed to share the same thoughts as him proved him otherwise.

First, the article has been published, and that in itself was something. They have friends and allies in the Ministry in the higher echelon, in the form of Rufus Scrimgeour and his boss Richard Parker, who were close to the Minister, not to mention the fact that Dreamweaver himself seemed to look at Ilya favourably. This influence had been enough to prevent the news of the Hogwarts Express incident from being published in the Daily Prophet. And yet, this time, the article pushed through, and it could only mean that they had been given express permission to post it (even though said article also contained snide and harassing comments aimed at the Minister himself).

Second, the part of regarding Ilya. It was rather unfortunate, but while there were few people who think that Rita Skeeter's news articles contained plenty of lies which were weaved from the truth, most people take it by the word, and even Severus had to admit that she was an excellent writer, able to convince the masses that what she was saying was the truth, even if it was made up of nothing but lies. True, Skeeter had not written anything that would incriminate or turn people against Ilya. In fact, she was going all out praising her, with the use of exaggeration, and her purpose, in Severus' opinion, was undoubtedly simply to further humiliate the other people who were the reporter's true targets. Yes, Skeeter's article was an all-out glorification of Ilya...

And therein lies another big problem.

For Rita Skeeter, in her article, had explicitly mentioned certain details, which she should not have known...

It was not a wonder that Rita Skeeter knew about Caliburn, about the rumours that circulated around the school, what the students were saying, and what the ghosts were saying. However, there were some things that the reporter should not know about.

First, was their encounter with the ghost of Bedivere.

Second, their meeting with the Minister in the Hospital Wing.

And, like always, she twisted the facts brutally magnificently...

_Descendant of King Arthur... _

_Related to Merlin..._

_Denying the truth..._

_Caliburn, the Sword of Promised Victory, forged by Merlin..._

And now that these pieces of information had been divulged, there was no doubt that the eyes of the entire Wizarding Community were now focused on Ilya. And unwanted attention can cause quite the inconvenience, not to mention the many possible rumours that could go flying around because of it, for unlike the train incident, this one was published... by none other than one of the most notorious yet believed journalists the British Wizarding Community had ever seen. It would take a longer time for people's interest on the subject to die down...

Yet, it should not have come as a surprised, for one of the traits Rita Skeeter had been known for...

...was her ability to create turmoil and chaos with her quill. It was not a good idea to get on her bad sice...

Skeeter had not yet mentioned all of the contents of Ilya's conversation with Bedivere. Even though the silver-haired girl did refrain from giving away too much at the time, there were still some crucial points discussed, points which are undoubtedly now known by Skeeter, which include...

... Arturia Pendragon was girl...

...Ilya knew the ghost of the King of Knights...

And it did not bode well. What the snoopy reporter acquired was significant, she might even use it to try and blackmail Ilya to get more information, and if she makes an article in the near future including such information, the reactions of the Wizarding Community to it would be.

Severus did not even want to think about it...

It was frustrating. For before both conversations (one with Bedivere, the other with the Ministry officials and Hogwarts teachers) began, a Privacy Ward had been put in place. And the only way for someone to be able to eavesdrop is if they were already inside the Ward before it was cast. Perhaps it was possible for Skeeter to have overheard and snuck into the Hospital Wing with an Invisibility Cloak or a Disillusionment Charm. However, before they talked with Bedivere, it was Ilya who set up the Privacy Ward...

Under an Invisibility Cloak or not, it would have knocked away anyone who tried to enter the Boundary Field, no matter what kind of magic was used, even Animagus transformations, and there were only two possible explanations...

First of course, was the possibility that a hidden microphone or camera has been set up, and that it was within the area of the spell, and it was Ilya who suggested this possibility. However, even she admitted that it was unlikely, since portable versions of such equipment were, according to her, still rare, not to mention the fact that many electric-powered Muggle equipment go haywire at Hogwarts. Yes, it was a possibility. Still...

Skeeter explicitly stated that she had been there to witness and overhear said events. She was implying that she was there herself. True, she could be lying, but Severus' gut feeling told him that Skeeter, who had pride as a snoop, was probably telling the truth. And if that were the case, she had to be inside the area before Ilya cast the Ward.

Severus knew that they had to do something about this, and from the look on Rose's and Alice's serious faces, they were also thinking along the same lines, or risk having the constant fear that their private conversations would be the cause of scandals. However...

"Hmmm... I think I've just thought of something," said a female voice cheerfully.

The silver-haired girl, whose face was contorted in annoyance just a few moments before, now look calm and peaceful, wearing a smile that...

"Ilya?" inquired Severus nervously, as he saw the dangerous smirk that was playing on his girlfriend's lips, one which he had not seen in a while... a playfully, frighteningly, dangerously cruel smile which only ever appeared when she was feeling bored(and found something interesting to do) or vindictive.

"Don't worry," said Ilya in a low voice, the smile still plastered on her face, as she looked at her map of Hogwarts. "If my theory is correct, the next time this Skeeter tries anything, which I think will be quite soon, we'll be able to deal with her without a problem..."

Soon the smirk widened even further, which made Severus shudder, as another phrase escaped her lips...

"... although we're probably going to need some insecticide..."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now then, someone asked me if I made a mistake during the Evans residence incidence, as I did not make mention of Lily's sister. Well, I did make a mistake, but not on the plot.

During the Evans residence incidence, it was not a mistake that Petunia Dursley was not mentioned. She wasn't there, though I think I forgot give an explanation, which I think was an error on my part. Well, that is because Petunia was staying at her friend's house as a guest every summer, not wanting to associate herself with her freaky sister.

As for the point of view, well, whoever's name I mention up there means the majority of the scenes are shown from their perspective. However, the word is 'most' or 'majority,' and not all.

That's just about it for now... Like I said, I'm really busy and I've got lots of things to do, but I promise I'll try and update at least once a week...

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


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